Fists of Chaos
by HazardouZ-Ink
Summary: 16 combatants, each with their own discipline and personal objectives, will gather in the ultimate test of martial arts prowess. Unbeknownst to many, the sponsors of said tournament have sinister intentions behind the scenes. AU. Warning: Contains Violence, Language, Alcohol and Tobacco Use, Suggestive Themes and Dialogue, and Crude Humor.
1. Rude Awakening

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Sonic and the characters used in this fan fiction are copyrighted by SEGA, DIC, and Archie Comics.**

**_Good day, . I'd like to welcome you to an action- packed story entitled_********_Fist of Chaos! Let me start by saying that this idea has been consistently conking me upside the head since I was a friggin' child in middle school. Years later I finally decided to bring it to life, and I must say it feels rewarding to do so. _**

**__****_I'll give you guys a brief rundown on how the story was envisioned. This fan-fiction was inspired heavily by the martial arts world and its influence on pop culture: movies, cartoons, sports, anime/manga, and video games (A/N: Fighting games= favorite genre). The storyline takes place in an alternate universe and the cast members included are "anthrofied" (human height, clothes, etc.). The setting is a cross between a modern and futuristic Earth. In this world, corporations run nearly everything. Civilizations are broken into not only cities and countries, but independent colonies as well. Some locations are fairly based on those of the Sonic franchise (games and comics), while others are fairly original._**

**_The first chapter is basically a introductory piece. It's possible that there may be a few screw ups and holes here and there, but bear with me, folks (I never said I was a pro at this). Nevertheless, I did the best I could to ensure that this chapter would be somewhat entertaining. With that being said, sit back, relax and let the sick ink infect your mind. Shall we begin our journey?_**

* * *

**Rude Awakening**

**_"_****_JUST RUN, SONIC!" _**

**_Those were the last words that the young hedgehog heard his mother speak before he found himself fleeing into the night as instructed. The travesty leading to his escape had happened far too quickly for the child to process. Thousands of thoughts and fears clouded Sonic's mind as he frantically searched for safety and sanctuary. With his older brother's unexpected disappearance, his mother and sister's demise, and his home destroyed, the only thing left to remember them by was a photograph of a once happy family. _**

**_The more interesting, but equally mysterious memento Sonic possessed was a shining green gem enclosed in a small chest. Throughout his youth, Sonic's mother often mentioned the gem, widely notorious as one of the 7 Chaos Emeralds, as an artifact of inexplicable power and worth. Recalling how his mother would tell tales about how, since early history, many have sought these stones, Sonic started to wonder if the myths were true, and if the attackers have their sights set on it. Suddenly, Sonic found himself in the Central City town square surrounded by cybernetic drones, one of which literally knocking out of his thoughts. His back against the ground, the boy stared fearfully as the group of drones slowly closed in. It all seemed like Sonic was taking his final breaths; that he was well aware of. As the androids locked on target, Sonic could only tearfully prepare himself for death's cold embrace. Everything began to mysteriously fade to a blinding, white glare when…_**

**_*THWACK!*_**

Nearly jumping out of his fur from a brain-rattling noise, Sonic the Hedgehog hazily observed his current surroundings. The night fallen plaza morphed into a radiantly sun lit classroom. The fleet of drones devolved into a hoard of students 16 to 17 years of age. No longer was Sonic trapped in a life-altering predicament, but inside his Central City High School history class. He was greeted with suspicious and confused stares from his peers. An undeniable aura of immense awkwardness was felt in every corner of the classroom. However, that uncomfortable silence was broken by familiar but ear-shattering sounds of a wooden yard stick smashing against the blackboard.

**_*THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!*_**

"SONIC MAURICE HEDGEHOG!" A feminine but booming voice angrily exclaimed. Sonic's full attention was quickly directed to his teacher Ms. Dowell, a beautiful, curvy collie in her in her late twenties. Sonic, as well as many of his male peers, considered her drop-dead gorgeous, but she was well-known for her sharp-tongued cantankerousness when provoked. Judging by the scowl on her face, Sonic knew she was thoroughly peeved. "Now that you're awake, would you mind paying attention to the lesson?" Ms. Dowell said, slowly regaining her composure. Sonic, still recollecting himself after his slumber, remembered this was the last day of his junior year, leading into a highly anticipated summer break. In fact Sonic already got a head start on festivities by attending a beach party and sneaking into a nightclub the evening before. Since he didn't return home until it was nearly time for school, consequently, Sonic didn't get much sleep (not that it mattered to him). The last thing on Sonic's mind was a boring history. _It's seventh period, and the last day of school, to boot. So why the hell are we still studying? It's time to have a blast! _At least that's what Sonic thought. He took a quick glance at the clock above the black board; 2:55 p.m. There were only 5 minutes left before school bell rang, ending the entire student body's endurance of torture.

"Hello! Do you plan on giving me an answer sometime THIS CENTURY, Sonic?!" Ms. Dowell questioned, tapping her foot impatiently. Five minutes. That's all Sonic had before he would taste the sweet sensation of freedom, and, quite frankly, that was all he needed. However, this would be an extensive period of delaying. Being that this was the last school day, any dire ramifications were out of the questions. After a quick moment of consideration, Sonic decided to sacrifice himself by walking right into the fire- for the sake of his classmates!

Throwing all caution to the wind, Sonic nonchalantly responded, "Huh? Oh, I'm awfully sorry, Mrs. D. Guess I wasn't paying attention. Now, what'd ya say again?" "Let me put it in a language YOU can understand: 'Wake up, SHUT up, and focus on the lesson!'" The irritable instructor snapped. When Ms. Dowell was upset, she was a forced to be reckoned with. She had the ability to make even the most vicious football players, wrestlers and bullies shake in their boots. Yet, her intimidating demeanor generated nothing more than a yawn for the spiky blue pupil. Sonic lazily planted the side of his face in his hand and leaned on his desk. "Y' know, I'd really love to, Mrs. D. Your world history lessons have left us so inspired and knowledgeable," Sonic sarcastically replied, yawning again, "but I dunno. It's somethin' about 'em that always seem to make me doze off." Ms. Dowell was appalled by Sonic's flippant remark, but he wouldn't end stop there. "I don't think I'm the only one either. Take a peek at Craig, over there." Ms. Dowell looked towards a muscular, but clearly petrified orange cat. Sonic continued, "Think about THIS for a sec'. We all know this school has its cases of screw-ups and damages, but I seriously doubt that the puddle on his desk is because of a leaking ceiling." A look of disgust crept upon the teacher's face as Sonic pointed to the pool of saliva on Craig's desk top. Various snickers and giggles were heard, but immediately ceased when Ms Dowell shot a glare at her students. "Call me crazy, but hey. I think you might be losing your 'magic touch'", Mrs. D," Sonic said, hunching his shoulders innocently. As the volume of the students' laughs began to rise, so did Ms. Dowell's temper.

**_*THWACK!*_**

"KNOCK IT OFF!" She barked, immediately restoring order to the classroom. Ms. Dowell briskly walked over to Sonic's desk with fire in her eyes. Ms. Dowell venomously asked, "Do you really think for a SECOND that I'll just back off and let you do as you please on the last day?! Well I've got news for you, buster," she slammed her yard stick on Sonic's desk and lightly planted it on his nose, "You've got another thing coming." Those last five words were uttered in a tone so sinister that the devil, himself, would get chills. Every student except Sonic feared Ms. Dowell's wrath. Instead, the teenage hedgehog calmly moved the "Scepter of Doom" away from his snout and smirked slyly. "Heeeeeey, now. You're starting t' get a kinda heated, Mrs. D. You've gotta learn how to chill out every now and again, "Sonic said in a mellow voice. "WHAT…DID…YOU…JUST…SAY?" Ms. Dowell replied in disbelief. It was clear to the whole class that she was a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any given moment. Sonic was well aware of this, but he kept his game face on and responded, "You know: 'chill out; 'cool your jets', 'kick back', or just plain 'relaaaaaax'." After a moment of silence between the two, Sonic shook his head in disappointment and frowned at the infuriated collie. "Aw, c'mon. Don't tell me you're that much of a crabapple that you forgot the definition of 'relaxation' Tsk tsk tsk. What a shame. Tell you what. Since you're my absolute FAVORITE teacher n' all, how 'bout I give you a hands on demonstration, hmm?"

Following the proposal, Sonic proceeded to lean back into his chair and prop his feet onto his school desk. This audacious move left Ms. Dowell absolutely speechless. "_Seriously? He's joking, right? This _has_ to be a year-end prank or something! If not that, then this kid has clearly flipped his lid! EITHER WAY, I'M NOT AMUSED!"_ She angrily thought. "Now, I know it may LOOK difficult, but I promise it'll become second nature with a lot of practice. Take it from me," Sonic smugly commented as he reached into his pocket for a piece of fruit flavored candy. He flicked the chewable off his thumb and into the air. As he casually placed his hands behind his head, Sonic caught the candy in his mouth and sighed. "Look, Mrs. D. I'm not one to judge, but I think I might know what your deal is: YOU probably need a vacation more than any of US do! And teaching a class about world history is only making matters worse. Why? It's simple, really. You're stuck teaching about all the places you'd kill to visit. I bet you would love to set sail off the coast of Apotos. Or maybe you wanna snag some pasta and garlic bread in Spagonia. I could tell by how enthusiastic you sounded when you talked about 'em this year. You're just dying for that piece of freedom, aren'tcha?"

Ms. Dowell's rage briefly subsided as she took a moment to reflect on the 17-year-old's argument. It was true that she had been working continuously for years since graduating college. Occasionally, Ms. Dowell would be appointed as a summer school instructor (much to her chagrin). As much as she could use the extra money, she needed a break more than anything. Ms. Dowell instantly thought of a plan to use here secret stash of money to book a flight to a place of her choosing. Or maybe she could spend her summer a spa resort, and let a muscular, handsome masseuse rub her troubles away. Ah, the possibilities were seemingly- "I mean, let's be real, here. There's more to life than playing checkers, eating oatmeal, and watching 'International Historian' or 'The Youthful and Agitated' after work, everyday. Screaming at us all the time is gonna give you grey hair WAY sooner than you'd expect. And trust me; I checked!" Sonic boldly commented, sure enough, waving a single strand of the canine's grey hair (Well, so much for calming down). Ms. Dowell didn't know what angered her more; Sonic's offensive remarks or her students' laughter. None of that mattered, for the walking time-bomb was finally set to blow in 3…2…1…

**_*CRRRACK!*_**

The infamous yard stick had been snapped in half by an enraged Ms. Dowell. At a volume that could have possibly been heard from the top floor of the school to its massive parking lot, she yelled, "LISTEN, YOU LITTLE SMART-ASS! LET'S GET A FEW THINGS A STRAIGHT IN THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS! FIRST OF ALL: THIS IS MY CLASS, AND WHATEVER I SAY GOES; NO 'IFS', 'ANDS', 'BUTS' OR 'MAYBES'! SECOND: JUST WHO GAVE YOU A FREE TICKET TO TALK ABOUT MY PERSONAL LIFE?! IS THIS _YOUR_ FUR AND SKIN YOU'RE LIVING IN? DO YOU PAY MY BILLS? NO! SO, IT DOESN'T CONCERN YOU! AND THIRD: FOR THE VERY LAST TIME, YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS 'MS. DOWELL'! NOT 'MRS. D', NOT 'TEACH', NOT 'LADY', BUT 'MS. FRIGGIN' DOWELL'! UNDERSTAND?!"

For several moments, the class sat in dead silence as Ms. Dowell huffed and seethed with anger. Even Sonic was a bit astounded by the outburst, but for an entirely different reason. "Wait a sec'. Did you just say your name is 'Ms. Dowell'? Like 'M-S. Dowell?'" Ms. Dowell narrowed her eyes and retorted, "Did I stutter? Or were you just 'dozing off' again?" Sonic, laughing joyfully, cheered, "WOOO! AW, YEAH, BABY! Looks like this one is still a free agent, fellas! You know, we'd probably make such a cute couple if I were ten years older, don'tcha think? MAN! Such a BABE! But hey," Sonic grinned charmingly at Ms. Dowell, "That may be wishful thinking on MY end." Upon Sonic's flirtatious jests, which were somewhat honest thoughts, Ms. Dowell's face turned a shade of chili pepper red (not of anger, but embarrassment). Half of the class was laughing uncontrollably, while the other half looked at Sonic in pure shock. Sonic winked and a smirked, as if to say, "_Don't sweat it, guys. I've got this under control." _Sonic redirected his attention to his teacher who was now hanging her head and cackling maniacally. Okay. THIS was a reaction that automatically caught Sonic off guard. "You really think you can make a mockery of my class and get away with it, don't you, Sonic? Oh, sure. 'Let's laugh it up with little ol' Ms. D, right?'" Ms. Dowell raised her head, greeting the class with a psychotic grin. Sonic soon began to see fear, itself, manifested. "Well, now it's MY turn to have the last laugh!" She pointed at her students and shouted, "EVERYONE GET OUT YOUR PENCILS AND PAPERS! IT'S TIME FOR A POP-"

**_*RIIIIIIIIIIIING!*_**

"-Quiz," Ms. Dowell flatly finished, dropping her index finger. "Mission accomplished," Sonic triumphantly whispered. The class of teens cheered and poured out of the classroom exit. Sonic was soon to follow, but not before boasting. "Looks like you lost this battle, Ms. D. Good game, though. No hard feelings, right?" "Get out. J-just get out," Ms. Dowell replied, shaking her head in dismay. Sonic chuckled and left on demand. The irritable instructor plopped into her chair and exhaled in frustration as she massaged her temple. "Ugh. I think I'm gonna need a vacation …AND a drink!"

"Yo! Sonic! Mad props for what you did back there, big homie! I never saw her get THAT heated in my LIFE!" A brown dog complimented as he playfully wrapped his arm around Sonic's shoulder. Sonic confidently replied, "That's exactly the problem. You NEVER say 'never.'" A female robin commented, "Dude, I thought for sure you were a walking corpse. Setting her off is like preparing for the apocalypse! What were you even thinking?" "The same thing everybody was thinking: 'I really wanna get the hell away from Central City High so my summer vacation can start!'" The crowd of kids in the hallway could only laugh and agree with Sonic's statement. "It was the final stretch, and I knew you guys were practically bored to tears. So, I figure I'd speed things along and give you guys a show. What can I say? I'm such a giver!" Sonic bragged as his peers showered him with praise; fist bumps and high fives from the males and hugs from the females. Craig the Cat commented, "Yeah, I bet you were pretty disinterested, seeing as how you were nearly kicking and screaming in your sleep! I wouldn't be surprised if she was who you were dreamin' about!" Sonic was briefly annoyed by the crude remark, but the savvy hedgehog smirked and replied, "Look who's talkin'? I could've sworn you were about to beg Ms. D. to spare your sorry ass when I mentioned your name. If she wasn't so dead set on roasting ME, there would've been another puddle at your desk. And I don't think it would've been 'drool', if you know what I mean." "Uh-huh. Thanks again for throwing me under the bus back there," the feline retorted, "But all jokes aside, what's goin' down on YOUR end this summer? I've got a bar-b-cue kicking off this weekend. You comin' or what?" "NO WAY IS HE COMING!" A purple duck interjected, "Dude, don't you remember the 'Forget Me Knots' concert coming up? It's like a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity to get front row seats to a band of that caliber!

'_I LIE AWAKE_

_IN MY BED_

_JUST CAN'T SLEEP_

_FULL OF DRE-'"_

Sonic immediately decided to interrupt the duck's awful singing before he began to lose himself in the song. "Dude, stop. Just stop. Leave the singing to Mina Mongoose, 'kay?" "But…I….er…Well fine! You weren't invited, anyways!" the duck yelled. Just then, a hot brown bunny approached Sonic and made alluring circles on his chest with her index finger. She came close to his ear and sensually cooed, "You know, Sonic, me and a couple of friends are planning a road trip to the Emerald Resort. We've always got room for more, that is, if you interest. It would be a sooooo disappointing if you didn't join us." Receiving smooch on the cheek, Sonic put the road trip in STRONG consideration, until his cell phone rang. He reluctantly answered the call.

"Talk to me!"

"Hey. A new shipment just arrived this afternoon. How soon can you get here?" The caller asked.

"How soon do you need me?"

"Does A.S.A.P. sound good?"

"Good enough. I'll be there in a jiff!"

**_*BEEP*_**

Sonic looked at his peers and said, "Sorry, guys, but it looks like I've gotta cut this short. Don't fret. I'll get back to you all, especially that road trip." The bunny blew Sonic a kiss and winked. "If I miss out on anything, be sure you party hard enough to make me regret I did! Catch ya later!" The crowd of students bided the blue hedgehog farewell as he dashed out the exit and headed home.

* * *

**_Well that's not too bad of a way to get the ball rolling, don't you think? Anyway that's all for this little chapter. Leave a review telling me how it's going so far, what you liked, and what you didn't like. Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. Until next time, thanks for reading!_**

**_Author's inspirational playlist:_**

**_The Escape- The Bouncer Ost_**

**_School Theme- Tekken Tag Tournament Ost_**

**_Move- Street Fighter EX 3 Ost_**


	2. The Valiant Ordeal

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Sonic and the characters used in this fan-fiction are copyrighted by SEGA, DIC, and Archie Comics.**

**_How goes it, ? Welcome back to_****_Fist of Chaos! I know there wasn't much action in the first chapter (if any), but I promise you that things are actually about to heat up a bit. You're in for a treat._**

**_This chapter is actually what sets storyline in motion. Sonic may have survived the wrath of his history teacher, but unbeknownst to him, a greater threat lies ahead. Will our blue hero emerge victorious, or will he be doomed to a fate much worse than detention? Let's find out!_**

* * *

**The Valiant Ordeal**

**3:15 p.m. Central City: Sonic's home.**

"Muttski! Did ya miss me, buddy?" Sonic greeted his barking pet Labrador, petting him as he stepped inside the humble Victorian house. "Hey! Uncle Chuck! I'm home!" "Down in the basement!" A distant voice replied. Sonic dropped his backpack and headed towards the basement. As he made his way down the staircase, someone warmly greeted, "Welcome home, sport! You made perfect timing." "Don't I always? You, of all people, should know me better than anyone else," Sonic replied. "Of course, I do, champ," the elder hedgehog said, "How was your last day of school?" "It was definitely interesting. I'll tell you that much." Sonic's remark earned a light hearted chuckle from his uncle. Dr. Charles Hedgehog, or Uncle Chuck as Sonic calls him, is a highly respected technician that has made a lucrative career out of fixing and inventing the latest technology. He stood no taller than Sonic, but was much older (around 50) with a full bushy mustache and eyebrows to match. 7 years ago, he was disturbed from his studies one evening by a knock on his front door. It was on that fateful night that he discovered his biological nephew, teary-eyed and trembling in fear, standing at his doorstep. After being informed of a devastating tragedy involving relatives, Chuck took Sonic under his care with open arms and a warm heart. As the years progressed, Chuck watched Sonic grow from a cheerful little scamp to a charming young lad. Sonic was very helpful around the house; from taking out garbage to assisting Chuck with his inventions. On various occasions, however, Sonic would often sneak out without warning or permission in search of a new thrill, which would range from a well-rounded jog to thrashing blood-thirsty criminals. These excursions of his would often leave Chuck with more than a few headaches. Being that Sonic had always been free-spirited, Chuck, though protective, would eventually concede to his escapades, knowing it wouldn't be long before Sonic would have to set out on his own indefinitely.

"So, what came in, this time?" Sonic asked as he walked into Chuck's basement laboratory. "Only 8 packages for you, this week, Sonic," Chuck said. "Aw, you gotta be kiddin' me. Only 8? My pay's gonna suck!" Sonic whined. Since he was 14, Sonic started his own small business as a part-time delivery boy. With his Uncle's assistance, Sonic would use an innovative and trustworthy database that would allow packages from around the world to be ship directly to his address. After the shipment is received, Sonic would provide speedy delivery service for a cut of the funds given. Despite mild income, Sonic's excellence at his daily grind was critically acclaimed, even earning him a T.V. interview on Central City News 11. Nevertheless, like many businesses, slow days were sometimes inevitable. This one was no different. "Oh, well. At least it'll be a quick shift for me. Let's see what we've got here." Sonic began to sort through the packages he was required to deliver. He noticed that one package was for him alone. "Hmm. Somebody must be feeling generous to give ME something," Sonic commented. He opened a small box to reveal an elaborate digital watch. The watch was had a dark blue plastic wrist strap with a silver frame and a green colored lense. Quite impressed with the rather fashionable accessory, Sonic immediately tried it on. "Looks good on you, kiddo," Chuck complimented. "You really think so? Well, of course, it is me we're talkin' about, here," Sonic replied. He continued to ogle his new watch, when noticed it give of a peculiar, bright, green glow.

Initially, Sonic suspected that the watch had a lighting mechanism within it, but remembered he hadn't pressed any of its buttons. The basement lab was well lit, so a glow-in-the-dark feature was null and void. "Maybe it's solar powered or something," he guessed. Sonic ran outside to see if his theory was correct, but as a result, the light grew slightly dimmer. When he returned to the basement, the light, once again, shined brighter than before. Perplexed by this strange reaction, Sonic summoned his uncle for an analysis. "Hey, Unc'. Check THIS out." Chuck approached Sonic and examined the watch closely. "Oh, my. That's odd. Even for a common watch, I haven't seen something like this occur," Chuck stated, vigorously stroking his thick whiskers. After a minute of observation, Sonic and Chuck simultaneously turned towards a rather large contraption. The machine was actually a Chaos Emerald Containment Unit, which held one of the legendary Chaos Emeralds (the very Emerald Sonic's mother left in his care before he fled). "Maybe it's because of the Chaos Emerald. The energy that the emerald is giving off is somehow causing this reaction, or even an attraction. This is quite an astounding accessory, indeed, but how is something as simple as a watch responding to the emerald through the Containment Unit?" Sonic was also baffled at the strange reaction, but even stranger, he was unable to shake a bad vibe. Deep down, he felt something was amiss, but he didn't know what. Nevertheless, Sonic had a bad feeling about his new watch, and his intuition rarely led him wrong.

Not wanting to take any chances, Sonic turned to Chuck and asked, "Say, Uncle Chuck. Do you mind if I hold on to the Chaos Emerald just for today?" Taken aback by Sonic's request, Chuck replied, "You're in need of the Chaos Emerald? What for?" "Nothin' special. Just for safe keeping, is all," Sonic responded, masking his uncertainty behind his cool attitude. Well aware and knowledgeable of the power the gem contained, Chuck wasn't as compliant to give in to Sonic's wish as he usually was. Chuck shook his head and solemnly said, "That's what I built the Containment Unit for. There's no telling what type of havoc would be wreaked if the Chaos Emerald falls into the wrong hands. Honestly, I can't say that I'm extremely comfortable with this idea, Sonic." "The wrong hands? So…are you saying you can't trust ME?" Sonic replied disappointingly. Chuck stood frozen in silence; unable to fathom the thought of saying Sonic was unreliable or untrustworthy. Sure, Sonic was often a mischievous boy, but in Chuck's eyes, he was always dependable in the time of need. "Uncle Chuck, you're gonna have to trust me on this one," Sonic honestly stated as he placed a hand on his Uncle's shoulder. With his will power diminishing, Chuck, yet again, conceded to Sonic's plea. He sighed and said, "Alright. If you can keep it with you at all times, you can take it with you. But you're to return with it right after you finish you're deliveries. There are a few tests I would like to run concerning the emerald and your watch. Understood?" Sonic nodded in agreement, "I Promise!" Sonic took the Chaos Emerald out of the Containment Unit and stowed it in a small pack. After stuffing it in his pocket, Sonic said, "Gotta make my runs, now. I'll be back before you know it." Chuck smiled at his nephew as he made his exit, "Alright, sport. See you soon." Chuck, still reflecting on the past, warily thought, _Please be careful out there, Sonic._

Sonic stepped out of his front door and overlooked his hometown. The beautiful sunlight gleamed brightly throughout Central City, contrasting a clear blue sky. Not even the darkest of alleys could escape its radiant glow. A warm, gentle breeze brushed through Sonic's fur as he observed the hustle and bustle of the city. "Okay. Let's see," Sonic said as he examined the list of packages due for its delivery, "9107 Coconut Avenue. Way across town, huh?" Tapping his index finger on his chin, Sonic contemplated his route to the address. "Around this time, traffic's gonna start picking up. And as I get closer downtown, it's really gonna be hectic. But it's also the last day of school, so traffic's probably gonna be murderous!" After a few moments of planning, Sonic finally made his decision. "Looks like I'm gonna have to split my route; Hittin' 'em high and low!" Sonic grinned widely with delight.

Following a brief stretching session, Sonic sped off from his home in a blaze of blue. He dashed through the streets of Central City at high speed, carefully drifting around the tightest of corners with well timed precision. As Sonic suspected, rush hour traffic was beginning to form. Did that stop the hedgehog's momentum? Of course not! As each oncoming vehicle approached his path, Sonic skillfully dodged them with relative ease. "Heh. It looks like traffic wasn't as bad as I thought," Sonic cheerfully proclaimed. Be that as it may, it seemed that Sonic had spoken too soon, as a van- its driver was honking rapidly and yelling some rather abrasive vocabulary- sped towards him. Thinking quickly, Sonic picked up the pace with the intent of closing the gap between the van and himself. Before an imminent collision could occur, Sonic hopped atop of the roof of the van and jumped onto a beam protruding from a nearby building. He then proceeded to swing from the beam onto a thick metallic cable, grinding his way amongst it. Sonic's screams of exhilaration echoed through Central City. Once he reached the end of the extensive length of the cable, Sonic sprung off of its mount, where he gracefully flipped in the air. He safely landed on his feet and increased his speed as he continued through the main city.

"Alright! I should be pretty close now!" Sonic declared. Unfortunately, it seemed that getting to his destination wouldn't be a complete cake walk. Sonic noticed road barricades near a construction site where a new establishment was being built. Forklifts, trucks and various forms of heavy machinery blocked the main passage Sonic intended to take, much to his disgust. "Oh, COME ON! They really wanted to pick TODAY, of all days, to work on this?" Sonic complained. A series of wooden planks and steel poles were towering 70 feet above the ground in a scaffold. Due to a sudden mishap by a crane operator, the massive scaffold was damaged, and its entire structure slowly began to crumble. The crew of construction workers immediately began to evacuate from the site, but Sonic was far less than frightened. "Looks like I don't have a choice," Sonic said as he raced towards the catastrophe with excitement in his eyes. Utilizing the planks and pipes, Sonic agilely jumped his way to the top amidst the tumbling scaffold. Upon reaching the last plank, Sonic sprung onto a rail hoisted by a crane and ran to its end. "Guess my low route's done. Time to take higher ground," said Sonic. He leaped off the rail, soaring in mid-air towards a nearby building, and latched on to its fire escape. Sonic swung around the ladder of the fire escaped and launched himself onto a wall of an adjacent building. Instantaneously, Sonic jumped back onto the wall he previously jumped from, systematically alternating between the two buildings. Once he reached the roof, Sonic continued to jump on to a succession of rooftops without stopping or slowing down. At long last, Sonic's first destination was in plain sight. He hopped off the building right across the street from the package's address and slid down its awning, making a soft landing. "Let's see if I set a new personal record." Sonic glanced at his new watch. "4 minutes and 15 seconds. Do I ever cease to amaze myself?" the hedgehog playfully boasted.

**_*DING-DONG*_**

"Blue Streak Inc. I've got a special delivery for you!" Sonic announced to his customer. There was no initial response, so he decided to make another attempt.

**_*DING-DONG*_**

"Blue Streak Inc. Special Delivery! Anybody home?!" he exclaimed. "YEAH, YEAH! I'M COMIN'! KEEP YOUR FRICKIN' PANTIES ON…FOR ALL OUR SAKES!" An ornery yet familiar voice slurred. As the door opened, Sonic's charming smile gradually changed to a frown of horror, realizing customer was none other than Ms. Dowell in a rather unkempt appearance. Ms. Dowell's trademark French Roll was now a long, unruly cluster. Her trendy white blouse and black skirt were replaced by a white tank-top and baggy grey sweat pants. Lastly, the dangerous yard stick that Sonic was so accustomed to seeing was replaced by a half empty fifth of "Jack Rabbit's" Whiskey (which may be _more_ dangerous). One word came to Sonic's mind: Yikes! Ms. Dowell greeted her ex-student with an unfriendly grimace. "So, you came to screw up my summer, too. Eh, wise-guy?" she hissed. Sonic gulped nervously and replied, "A-actually, no, Ms. D…er…Dowell. Y-ya see, I have a special delivery for you on behalf of Blue Streak- "Just shut up n' give me the damn package," Ms. Dowell growled, not wanting to hear another word from Sonic's mouth. Ms. Dowell snatched the delivery from his hand and signed the confirmation slip attached to it. Realizing the tension was thick between the two, Sonic figured he should lighten the mood. "Downing that whole bottle of Jack, huh? Must be one helluva party goin' on in there!" Sonic jested. "There IS no party. Even if there was, YOU sure as hell wouldn't be invited. Now piss off!" Ms. Dowell spat. Apparently, Sonic had given her a harder time than he intended. He knew that she didn't want him in her presence, yet he persisted. "Oh. So, you're all by your lonesome, huh?" Sonic asked, giving Ms. Dowell a cheeky grin. "Hey, uh, are you looking for some extra company? Maybe I can swing by when I'm done with my rounds and…" Ms. Dowell formed a distasteful glare at Sonic, gritting her teeth. Sonic laughed nervously and said, "Ohohoho-kaaay. It seems like none of these jokes are working. Sooooo... IthinkI' !" Within moments, Sonic was a mile away from the irritable Ms. Dowell's abode. "Whew. I made outta there alive! That's GOT to be some kind of mira-"

**_*CRRRSSSH*_**

"GAH! WHAT THE HELL?!" Sonic nearly fell over an oddly familiar bottle of liquor that somehow flew from the direction he just departed. Sonic quickly glanced back in disbelief. "Wait. How did…but, I'm way over…Holy CRAP, does she have a sick arm! That lady's NUTS!"

After an hour of delivery service, Sonic finally finished his work day and decided to stop by a street vendor he visited quite frequently. " What'll it be, today, Sonic? The usual?" The purveyor, a slightly chubby brown mouse, asked. "You know me too well, Tony," Sonic replied. Tony immediately pulled out two jumbo hot dogs and slathered them in spicy chili sauce. "Hm. And I thought _I_ was fast…" Sonic commented as he anxiously took the two franks. "Well, you've been coming here more times than I can count. I was expecting you at any time," Tony remarked. "Oh? Is that so?" "Yep. Hell, it's getting to a point where I'm starting to see you in my sleep for Pete's sake!" "Not gonna lie, Tony; that's weirdin' me out a bit," Sonic said, "But, then again, I AM your best customer!" Tony only hunched his shoulders. "You've got a point there. So, whaddaya have in mind for summer break? There's gonna be plenty of tourist visiting the city, which means lots o' girls, Sonic! C'mon. Those pin-ups of pretty ladies can only do so much for you." The older mouse said with a devilish grin. Sonic just returned a dirty look. "You REALLY had to go THERE, didn't you, ya dirty pervert?" Tony chuckled heartily. Sonic bit a huge chunk out of one of the chili dogs and said, "Actually, I haven't really given a lot of thought. I've been kinda busy with my daily grind, so I didn't have much time to come up with a plan besides sleeping in." "Working so much you can't get a vacation, huh? Welcome to the corporate world, kid!" Tony replied, playfully shaking one of Sonic's shoulders. "Whatever. Who knows? Maybe something badass my come up. Or maybe this summer's gonna be dull as dirt. Only time will tell," Sonic commented.

As Sonic prepared to consume his second chili dog, he and Tony noticed a large aircraft hovering above Central City. "What is THAT?" Tony queried as he stared at the vessel. Sonic shook his head in uncertainty. "I don't know what that is, but this doesn't look good." "Don't be so uptight. This could be a prop for a movie scene or somethin', for all WE know," Tony reassured the hedgehog. Howbeit, that wasn't the case, considering many civilians in Central City also looked towards the airship in complete awe. Suddenly, Sonic saw several small objects dropping from the aircraft, growing exponentially in size the closer they approached land. Five of those particular objects were heading in the exact spot Sonic and Tony were standing. "LOOK OUT!" Sonic yelled, pushing Tony away from his hot dog stand before it was crushed. Before he knew it, Sonic was surrounded by a group of 5 hunter androids. "WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED. SURRENDER THE CHAOS EMERALD OR PREPARE TO BE ERADICATED," one of the androids monotonously threatened. _"Why can't I be wrong just once?"_ Sonic thought. As usual, his instinct proved him right, for an anonymous diabolical force was in after his Chaos Emerald. In spite of a perilous scenario, however, Sonic was not the same boy he was 7 years prior. The group of robots slowly began to approach Sonic with weapons drawn, preparing to seal Sonic's fate. Sonic suddenly began frantically waving his hands and cried, "WAIT! WAIT! WAAAAIIIIIT! HOLD ON!" Somehow, this unexpected outburst caused the droids to momentarily drop their defenses. Initially, it was suspected that Sonic was willing to surrender the Chaos Emerald as he rummaged through the pockets of his shorts. Yet, what Sonic pulled out was not a gemstone, but an MP3 player. "I gotta have the right jam for this," he said as he began scrolling through his rather lengthy playlist. "No…nope…uh-uh…nah…not today…Geez. Why the hell did I even download THIS song?" This delay left the fleet of drones puzzled, but steadfast on their objective. "Ah. Here we go!" With the press of a button, Sonic began to rhythmically tap his foot and nod his head to the beat of one of his favorite tunes. All the while, he continued to munch on his half eaten chili dog. By this point, the drones had grown impatient with Sonic and took sharp aim. Finally finished with his meal, Sonic belched audibly and smirked, "Alrighty then, boys! Let's Play!"

Two of the drones opened fire at Sonic. Oddly enough, every rapid shot ended up hitting each other, destroying them both. The first attack failed, and Sonic was now in mid-air. "My turn!" Sonic spun towards one of the androids and rammed head first into it, smashing it to several pieces. The two remaining androids quickly approached Sonic. As one attempted to strike, Sonic swiftly evaded the attack by dropping to pavement. Still on his back, Sonic counter-attacked with a spinning windmill, and then landed a one-armed handstand kick shortly before the android could even hit the ground. "Four down, one to go!" said Sonic with the final drone in his sights. Sonic quickly spun to its direction as the android fired at him. Carefully dodging the rapid fire of bullets, Sonic attacked the android with a mid round house and spinning reverse roundhouse kick combination, leading into an aerial cartwheel kick, and finally finishing the mechanical assassin with a backflip kick into its head. "You guys made that WAAAAY to easy for me," Sonic proudly proclaimed. His victory was brought to an end when he heard several screams of terror come from various parts of Central City. "Well, crap. Rain on my parade, why don't you?!" Sonic griped, "Looks like I gotta split. Thanks a heap for the chili dogs! See ya!" Dumbfounded, Tony watched as Sonic sped away, until he realized, "Hey, he didn't even pay me! Oh, damn it! THAT'S THE THIRD TIME THIS MONTH!"

Sonic valiantly fought in the midst of chaos, destroying every robotic drone in sight. As he raced through the city, Sonic caught sight of a mother and her two children. Three robots hovered above the fearful family threateningly. In an act of heroism, Sonic sprung into the air, smashed into one of the drones with a homing attack, and ricocheted into the other two before making a solid landing. "Thank you so much, sir. I thought my children and I were done for," the grateful parent said as tears fell from her eyes. Sonic sternly replied, "No need to thank me. Just head home. It's a bit too crazy for an afternoon stroll." With little hesitation, the family quickly escaped. After several minutes, Sonic had successfully rid the city of the robotic onslaught…

**_*BOOOOOOM!*_**

…Or so he thought. "Damn! I just cannot catch a break today, can I?" Sonic irritably said as he headed towards the direction of the noise.

"MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN! WE'RE TAKING ENEMY FIRE!" a soldier from G.U.N., the United Federation military, shouted. Upon Sonic's arrival at a familiar plaza, he was stunned to discover several G.U.N. soldiers retreating from a ruthless attack from a gargantuan mechanism. The mechanical monster towered at 50 feet high with four massive legs, two long arms and equipped with an arsenal of heavy artillery (which included a laser cannon). It had no name, but it did have a label branded on its structure: E-075. Trembling with uncontainable excitement, Sonic boldly confronted the metallic monstrosity. "Y'know, my day was going pretty swell. I had a great day at school, summer's finally here, and my work day ended much sooner than usual. Then, you and all of your little friends had to drop in and SCREW it all up for me!" Sonic pointed at E-075 with fire in his eyes. "Unfortunately for you, you're about to find out, firsthand, how much I HATE unpaid overtime!" Sonic confidently stated as he assumed a combatant stance, "Bring it!"

E-075 immediately targeted Sonic and fired a barrage of missiles where he stood. Although the wave of missiles was large in quantity, Sonic managed to dodge it. Once E-075's guard was down, Sonic seized the opportunity to attack by launching himself into its mid section. As its next offensive, E-075 rocketed into the air and returned to the ground with an earth shaking slam. Consequently, the seismic landing disrupted the foundation of a nearby establishment, causing it to crash into the plaza. Yet again, Sonic was able to avoid a fatal outcome. With an attempt to destroy the quick-footed hedgehog once and for all, E-075 charged its laser cannon and fired a massive blast at Sonic, obliterating many vehicles and houses in the surrounding area. With nothing but ash, rubble and a cloud of smoke in its wake, E-075 had finally-

"Yo, Brass balls! Lookin' for someone?!" The mechanism directed its attention to find certain smug blue hedgehog nonchalantly leaning on one of its large appendages. "I got a target for ya to hit, right here! TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT!" Sonic taunted as he spanked his backside. With little options left, E-075 decided to rely on brute force and attempted to trample Sonic. Due to its extreme size, however, each stomp was far too slow to for Sonic's agility and the aggressive maneuver failed miserably. Growing desperate, E-075 reached for a nearby G.U.N. tank and hurled it at the hedgehog. Sonic jumped onto the soaring tank and leaped towards the mecha. In response, it swung its massive arms like a propeller in an attempt to swat Sonic like an insect. Sonic swiftly grabbed on to one of the spinning robotic arms. "Upsie-daisy!" He then proceeded to swing atop the arm he held on to. As he ran closer to the truculently flailing robot's head, Sonic buzz sawed E-075 cannon off its structure to prevent further destruction. From that, Sonic hopped onto the nearest rooftop. "Time to end this!" he heroically stated. As his final attack, Sonic spun at full speed from the rooftop and shot straight through E-075's core, resulting in its detonation. At long last, the reign of terror that fell upon Central City was brought to a resounding end thanks to the fearless endeavors of Sonic the Hedgehog!

"Tch. I'll cut ya some slack; at least you tried," Sonic teased at the now demolished mechanism. "What a day. I antagonized my least favorite teacher, made all my deliveries earlier than usual, stopped an invasion of tyrannical robots, and I still held on to the Chaos Emerald! Heh. And to think Uncle Chuck couldn't trust-" Just then, Sonic's heart sank into his stomach. Amidst the turmoil, Sonic had forgotten about Chuck, realizing his safety may be at stake. "Oh, no! I've gotta get home! Uncle Chuck could be…" Without a moment to spare, Sonic rushed to his home, hoping that Chuck was still safe and sound.

When he arrived, Sonic was distraught to find his home in complete disarray. Judging by the broken front door, the perpetrators, possibly related to the invasion, raided the house. Sonic rushed inside yelling Chuck's name in hopes of a response, but to no avail. He searched from the corners of the attic, to the now destroyed basement laboratory. Yet, no sign of the elder hedgehog remained. "Damn it! Why is this happening to US?!" Sonic yelled, banging his fist against the basement wall. The one remaining member of his bloodline that brightened his dark life had been kidnapped. It mattered not that the tyrants failed to obtain the Chaos Emerald. Sonic felt that he, _himself, _failed to protect what he felt was more valuable; his family. With hope lost, Sonic could do nothing but hang his head in guilt and defeat.

As he walked into the living room, he noticed a strange envelope on the entertainment stand. Sonic opened the envelope and read a message enclosed within it, which stated:

_To Sonic the Hedgehog:_

_If you are reading this message, you have surely realized that your relative, Dr. Charles Hedgehog, is currently missing. Without question, you may be wondering where he has disappeared to. Dr. Charles is now in the possession of Crimson Cloak Enterprise and Robotnik Technology Group. Rest assured, he is still alive, but if you ever wish to see him again, it is highly imperative that you fulfill these demands. You, Sonic the Hedgehog, are required to compete in the upcoming world martial arts tournament we have sponsored. In addition to participating in the competition, you must also collect the remaining 6 Chaos Emeralds. Utilizing the Chaos Energy Indicator we have provided you with, the possibilities of finding all Chaos Emeralds will be greatly increased. Should you fail to comply with our whims and demands, we cannot guarantee the survival of Dr. Charles, let alone his safe return. In short: THIS PROPOSITION IS NOT OPTIONAL. __**WE HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU PROCEED ACCORDINGLY!**_

_Crimson Cloak Enterprise_

_Robotnik Technology Group_

Although relieved to know that Chuck was still alive, Sonic was equally furious to discover corporate tyrants have held his uncle for ransom. Sure enough, Sonic had heard of the world tournament through several forms of propaganda, but was too disinterested to enter. Now that Chuck's safety, as well as the entire planet's well being, was jeopardized, this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. For now, he would have to play their game. "Hmph. I never expected to do THIS for my summer vacation. Should make an epic 'back-to-school' report!" Sonic inwardly joked. On that note, he immediately raced through Central City to sign up at the nearest arena. With inextinguishable passion burning deep within his soul, Sonic grinned and exclaimed, "LOOK OUT, WORLD, 'CAUSE HERE COMES SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!'"

* * *

**_Uuuugh. That friggin' Mech battle, man. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I promise I'll do my best to make the future fight scenes a lot more interesting. Leave reviews telling me the good, bad and ugly. Constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome. Thanks for reading. Dueces! _**

**_Author's inspirational playlist:_**

**_Gentle Mind- Cromartie High School Ost_**

**_Peril- Halo 2 Ost_**

**_Wave Ocean~The Inlet- Sonic '06 Ost_**

**_Vivi's Theme- Final Fantasy IX_**

**_Sokkyou 3- Cromartie High School Ost_**

**_Battle 2 theme- Final Fantasy IX_**

**_Are you Ready- Drift City Ost_**

**_Tiger Jackson's theme- Tekken 3 Ost _**

**_Boss Battle 2- Samurai Legend Musashi Ost_**

**_Trail of Blood- Final Fantasy VII Ost_**

**_Silent Hill (Nakoruru Stage) - Capcom vs. SNK Ost_**


	3. Tournament Start- Pt 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Sonic and the characters used in this fan fiction are copyrighted by SEGA, DIC, and Archie Comics.**

**_Good Morniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing, Vietnaaaaaaaaaaaaam! Kidding. I'm back in the building with another update to Fist of Chaos! When we last left off, Sonic kicked the mechanical asses of robots running amuck in Central City. Unfortunately, Uncle Chuck was kidnapped by corporate big wigs for personal gain. It's up to our favorite blue rodent to save him!_**

* * *

**Tournament Start: Let the Games Begin!**

10 days. It has been 10 days since Central City's salvation from robotic destruction. 10 days since a burglary that resulted in kidnapping. Through those 10 days of peace, Sonic remained in an ongoing state of discontent. He could not eat; his unease due to the ordeal spoiled his appetite on countless occasions. He couldn't sleep; with every passing moment, thoughts of his entrapped Uncle Chuck would repeatedly invade his conscious. Sonic was going mad and had grown impatient. Every since he signed of the Fist of Chaos tournament, Sonic had been waiting for his phone to ring, confirming that he was an official participant. Still, 10 days have passed and there was no response. "Aaaargh! Just what the crap is taking them so long?! These guys go so far as to give me a chaos emerald radar disguised as a fashion statement, attempt to trash my city, -failed miserably at that, by the way- and kidnap Uncle Chuck! When I keep my end of the deal, they can't even get off their butts to put me in the system? Hell, I can at _least_ settle for friggin' text message!" The blue hedgehog audibly complained as he irritably paced the living room floor. Shortly after his tangent, Sonic stopped pacing and flopped onto the couch. Hanging his head in despair, Sonic thought, _"Who am I kidding? All of this whining and moaning won't do any good. Until this call comes in, I can't do anything to bring him home."_

As he lay back on the couch, he took a glimpse at family portraits on the living room wall. The first photograph that caught his attention was of his father dressed in a military uniform. Lying beside him in a hospital bed was Sonic's mother, holding Sonic and his twin sister, Sonia, in her arms. It has been so long since he has seen his father when they once lived in a foreign country. The last time he saw him in person was when he was five, and for reasons unknown, the entire family left him behind. Was he living? Is he dead? The questions that Sonic continuously asked his elders remained unanswered. Then, there was his loving mother. She was as beautiful as she was compassionate. The golden heart she possessed held the family together. Sonic remembered how she used to tell the most amazing stories to him and his siblings. It was such a shame she made a tragic exit from his life.

The next memento Sonic looked towards was a playful shot of Sonia, his older brother, Manic, and himself. To his vivid recollection, Sonia was always bossy. She wouldn't hesitate to set Sonic straight if she needed to. Apparently, since Sonia was the older twin by 10 minutes, she assumed she had authority, second to her brother and third to her mom. Regardless, Sonia always looked out for Sonic when he felt a mischievous impulse, even resorting to spanking him when he nearly got himself seriously injured. Sonic couldn't help but laugh at that memory.

Of course, he couldn't forget about Manic. In Sonic's eyesight, Manic was the epitome of the word "cool". In contrast to his sister, Manic was a lot more nonchalant. While Sonia would often criticize Sonic's wild nature, Manic retained a "boys will be boys" outlook, letting Sonic do as he pleased to an extent. Although cool-headed, Manic would become vicious at the drop of a dime if anyone brought harm to his family. Sonic could personally testify Manic's aggressive nature, witnessing some of the fights he's been in. When they were kids, Manic would teach Sonic martial arts, intending to make Sonic as tough as _he_ was. Despite his calm and equally fierce personality, Manic also had a caring side. Whenever, his younger brother or sister (if not both) would come to his room after a frightful nightmare, Manic would openly share his bed. Every so often, Sonic would catch Manic comforting his mother late at night during a time of grieving. Sonic felt that Manic was much more of an influential hero than the characters he saw on television. Then one day, he vanished without a trace and never returned home. Even in the present day, Sonic still doesn't know what happened to Manic, but eventually he stopped caring. He was hurt to know that someone he looked up to, imitated, and admired left his family in the wind when they need him most. As time progressed, those same senses of pain and betrayal spiraled into undying resentment.

Those thoughts led Sonic to glance at picture of Uncle Chuck and himself as a 13-year-old. Needless to say, Uncle Chuck was a life saver in ways unimaginable. From visiting his Sonic to raising him, Chuck was ALWAYS in his life. Not once did he abandon his family. Sonic was adamant to return the favor. And he refused to sit idly by as Chuck remained in captivity. All he needed was the blasted phone to-

*******_RIIIIIIIIING*_**

"Hello," Sonic answered. The response just so happened to be a long awaited message. _"This is a message from Crimson Cloak Enterprise, in conjunction with Robotnik Technology Group, for Sonic the Hedgehog. We are pleased to announce that you have been selected as one of 16 contestants to compete in the Fist of Chaos World Martial Arts Tournament. You are scheduled to arrive at the Grand Central Conference Hall in Central City tomorrow at Noon. Upon your arrival, you will be debriefed on the tournament's rules and regulations, processed for statistics and data storage, and given insight on vital information regarding the competition. It is highly suggested that you are prompt for this meeting. We look forward to your visit and wish you the best. Thank you and have a nice day!"_

**_*CLICK*_**

"Whew. It looks like 'Step 1' is outta the way. Boy, that's a load off my mind," Sonic said in relief. Realizing that he would actually be able to thwart his enemies' heinous plot, Sonic could actually catch his breath for the moment. He went upstairs and lay on his bed. Muttski came in and whimpered. Sonic knew that his canine companion was sharing the same sentiments. Sonic comforted Muttski by petting him softly and saying, "Aaaaw, don't worry, buddy. I know how ya feel right now. Uncle Chuck will be back before you know it." Sonic looked up at the skylight of his bedroom ceiling, gazing deeply at the starlit sky. "Hold on, Unc'. I'm coming for you. I promise," Sonic thought as he slowly drifted into much needed slumber.

**11:45 a.m.-The Following Morning…**

Radiant beams of sunlight flooded through the bedroom window of a certain sleeping hedgehog. Due to a severe lack of sleep, Sonic was still resting longer than he intended. In attempt to wake his snoozing master, Muttski jumped on Sonic's bed and furiously lapped away at Sonic's face. "Ladies, LADIES…ZzZ…No need to fight…*yawn*…There's plenty enough 'Sonic' to go around…zZz…" Noticing his plan failed, Muttski resorted to a more direct approach and barked right into Sonic's ear. "WHOA! Okay, okay! *yawn*…Damn. I got an alarm clock y'know," Sonic groaned. "Wait a minute. Speaking of which…" Sonic initially planned to wake up an hour before the meeting, but had forgotten to set his alarm and overslept. "Oh Crap! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap! I ONLY HAVE 15 MINUTES TO GET THERE, AND I STILL GOTTA GET DRESSED!" In a frantic blaze, Sonic stripped down to his white wife beater, boxers and socks and rummaged through his closet. In a short moment in time, he pulled out a sporty outfit: A blue hooded jacket with a blue and white checkered short-sleeve- the other half being sleeveless; A matching pair of baggy royal blue jean shorts with the words "DARK" and "SPINE", each word respectively on a single pant leg, in large white font; A red belt with a golden ring buckle; Black, blue and white fingerless gloves; his brand new watch, of course; and, to top it all off, a fashionable pair of red and white high top sneakers. Sonic dashed to the kitchen, grabbed a pack of toaster pastries and bolted out the door. In midst of his rush, Sonic was brushing his teeth, getting dressed, and consuming his breakfast.

By the skin of his teeth, Sonic made it to the conference center with only two and a half minutes to spare. "WHOO! There's NO time limit I can't beat. I almost worried myself there. Sure, there may have been a few fender benders in my wake, but sacrifices must be made! Who's bad, baby?!" Sonic boasted as he broke into a victory dance. "Excuse me, sir," a voice interrupted. Sonic turned to face a grey fennec. "Are you one of the contestants scheduled for the Fist of Chaos debriefing? "Uh...yeah. Why?" Sonic replied. "Well, I must inform you that the conference room is on the second floor. You have one minute left before they begin the meeting." "Oh…right. Well whaddaya know? Hehehe," Sonic said, scratching his head in embarrassment. Immediately, he sped away to the next tier.

"'Fist of Chaos World Tournament: Briefing and Examination Center'. This must be the place," Sonic said as he read the sign near the conference room. When he entered, he noticed that the large room was dimly lit, and several individuals of various shapes, sizes, colors, and genders were seated in different parts of the hall. Not wanting to make a big fuss, considering he was already late, Sonic grabbed a chair in the back of the room. As he got comfortable, an attractive midnight blue cat walked on the stage in front of the room. Sonic noticed a high technology projector and on stage, as well.

**_*FWOOP**FWOOP**FWOOP*_**

"Is this thing working?" the feline asked as she tapped at the microphone on stage. "Ahem. Gooooood AFTERNOON, everyone! My name is name is Maxine. I am an administrative associate of the Crimson Cloak Enterprise in the United Federation sector. I will also be you're mistress of ceremony for this meeting. For starters, we would like to say congratulations on your acceptance in the first annual Fist of Chaos tournament! I hope you're excited as I am! How's everybody feeling today, hmm?" Sadly, Maxine's cheerful opening was met with awkward silence, aside from a warm response from 2 or 3 participants. "Excellent! Well, before we get you guys processed into our database, we're going to show you a brief presentation, mmkay?" "Don't bother, sweet cheeks. _THIS _presentation is just fine! You're all the entertainment _I_ need! Heh!" A gruff, accented voice spoke from the front of the room. "Hehehe. Glad to know _somebody_ shares my thoughts," Sonic thought. Maxine, embarrassed by the remark, just laughed nervously and blushed. "A-as I was saying, we have a brief but informative presentation for you all to view. With this in mind, you will get a good rundown of the tournament layout, rules and regulations, and all that other exciting stuff. Please be sure to pay close attention, as there are several imperative details you'll need to know prior to the contest. And knowing is half the battle. The other half is the battle itself! Hahaha!" Once again, the room was filled with dead air. "Ahahaha! I GET IT! THAT WAS SO FUNNY!" an exuberant, childlike voice exclaimed (at least Maxine got _one_ response). "Okay. With that being said and done, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you!" Maxine said before quickly exiting the stage. The dim light slowly faded to black and the projector on stage engaged. "*sigh* I would've brought a pillow if I knew THIS would happen," Sonic quietly griped as the film began.

The holographic presentation began with the respective logos of Crimson Cloak Enterprise and Robotnik Technology Group fading in and out, one after the other. After an elaborate display of CGI animation, supported by energetic music, the film cuts to a rather round man with a peach complexion. This character had a bald head shiny enough for one to see their reflection in. On his head were a pair of grey protective goggles, but his eyes were concealed by an additional pair of blue lens prince-nez glasses. He had a rather large nose and even larger whiskers protruding from the sides of his face. Sonic thought it was downright hilarious, but contained himself. The man's attire consisted of a red turtle neck coat with a white trim, gold box-compartment accessories, and large yellow cuffs with a triangular slit cut into each cuff. The bottom consisted of black, contoured, form-fitting one piece pants- pants that seemed to barely fit his wide lower half- with large silver buttons that attached pants to his red coat. Finally, on his feet were black boots with shiny silver accents. Sonic's verdict: The man looked like a douche bag- an EGG shaped douche bag. For the sake of engraving the image into his mind for future reference, Sonic decided to secretly dub the guy "Eggman".

"Greetings. I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik, President of the Robotnik Technology Group and co-sponsor of the Fist of Chaos World Martial Arts Tournament." Now that he got a thorough introduction, Sonic had one of his two targets set in his sights. Dr. Robotnik, or Dr. Eggman, continued with his speech, "First of all, I would like to say congratulations on your acceptance in such an exhilarating event. Your bravery is greatly commended. It is with great pleasure that we announce the world's first official international street fighting competition." "Wait. A street fighting tournament? Don't tourneys usually take place at some big stadium or something?" Sonic asked himself. Dr. Eggman, as if he possessed telepathic abilities, proceeded to answer the question with a thorough explanation. "Now some of you may be wondering how such a competition will be held. I would be delighted to explain. With our latest technology and immense funding, we have been able to pinpoint the best areas for competitors to engage in hand-to-hand combat. These locations will be designated for 2 combatants per round, resulting in a total of 15 different battlegrounds. In addition, we have designed top performance nano-bots that will not only monitor your progress, but also provide high definition footage of each match for viewers worldwide." As farfetched as some of the information sounded, Sonic and the other contestants were quite impressed.

"The rules and regulations of the Fist of Chaos tournament go as followed: Prior to each match, the opponents of said matches will be provided transportation and hotel accommodations in a city near the designated battlegrounds, free of charge. The competitors are to arrive at the specified location on the day of the match. Failure to do so will result in automatic disqualification." "Okay. THAT seems pretty cash; A free vacation around the world, AND I get to kick some ass. Can't get any better than that," Sonic thought. "During these battles, if any of you are to lose consciousness, exit or fall out of the designated battlegrounds, or forfeit, your participation in the tournament will discontinue." Sonic hunched his shoulders and said, "Eh…Sounds fair. I mean it's not like I'VE got anything to worry about." Dr. Eggman finished the tournament regulations by stating, "However, be informed that the environments we have chosen are not controlled. Neither Crimson Cloak Enterprise nor Robotnik Technology Group will be held liable for any infractions or disturbances that may occur- natural or otherwise. Weapons are permitted within reasonable standards. Amidst the fray, we strongly advise each combatant to proceed with caution." Sonic was baffled at the sponsor's blatant display of insanity. First they wreak havoc in his hometown, kidnap his uncle, and now they give the green light on possible casualties being televised to millions, if not billions, of viewers across the globe! HOW SICK WERE THESE PEOPLE?! "The victor of the final round will proceed to fight a mystery opponent for a chance to claim the Crimson Cloak Enterprise. We hope to see the very best from each contestant. May the best warrior win and Godspeed from the Robotnik Technology Group!" Dr. Eggman concluded, thus ending the film.

The lights returned and Maxine re-entered the room from a door near the stage. "Would all participants follow me down this hall, please?" She announced. As requested, everyone rose from their seats and followed the feline. After a few minutes of walking, they all reached another room that looked more like a small biogenetics laboratory mixed with a lounge. There were 4 large security guards standing near the doors. Four more gentlemen were seated at an elongated table with various forms of paperwork. Other individuals of the Crimson Cloak and RTG staff were scattered across the room, preparing to conduct their tests. Judging by the looks of things, the group of fighters knew they would be there for a while.

As some of the contestants began the statistical process, Sonic decided to size up the competition to kill some time. For starters, he noticed a brawny green crocodile, an energetic honey bee, a purple chameleon meditating in a corner of the room, a lavender female cat, and- no. NO! It COULDN'T be! This had to be a hallucination! Sonic rubbed his eyes, praying to the heavens above that they were fooling him. However, much to his chagrin, Sonic's vision remained crystal clear. "Oh, GEEZ! Not THIS guy!" Sonic groaned.

* * *

**_Uh-oh. Looks like the Blue Blur is running into an unpleasant surprise. But who could've provoked such a response from him? Guess we'll just have to wait and see, now won't we? Damn cliffhangers!_**

**_Well, I know this wasn't the most exciting update, but bear with me, folks. It'll get better with time. That aside, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review with the tasty, the nasty, and the "meh". Constructive criticism is always welcome. Peace!_**

**_Author's inspirational playlist:_**

**_Anxious Heart- Final Fantasy VII Ost_**

**_Boulder Chase Theme- Brave Fencer Musashi Ost _**

**_Extra Menu Theme- Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Ost_**

**_Menu Theme- Sonic Riders Zero Gravity Ost_**


	4. Tournament Start- Pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Sonic and the characters used in this fan fiction are copyrighted by SEGA, DIC, and Archie Comics.**

**_What's good, people? Looks like it's time for another update! On the last exciting (not really) episode of "Fist of Chaos", Sonic was relieved to know that he made the cut as one of the participants. He and 15 other competitors were given the rundown of the tournaments rules and regulations (yawn) and proceeded to a data processing procedure. However, Sonic runs into a familiar face he wishes he hadn't recognized. And just who could THAT be?!_**

* * *

**Tournament Start: A Bitter Reunion**

It seemed as though fate was playing a sick joke on the pitiful hedgehog that day. "Knuckles the Echidna?!" Sonic exclaimed in disbelief. A red, dread-locked echidna looked in the direction his name was spoken. The instant sight of Sonic nearly made him bust a vain from sheer rage. Knuckles abruptly stood from his seat. The 18-year-old echidna stood 5 feet 10 inches tall with the physique of a middleweight boxer. Knuckles was well fitted with a crimson _gakuran, _but was much different than its traditional design. The sleeves of his shirt were completely ripped off, exposing his toned, muscular arms. The shirt itself was left unbuttoned, revealing a white crescent across Knuckles' pectoral muscles, as well as a series of bandage wraps around his chiseled abs. On the back of the shirt was a green cobra in all its intimidating glory. Boxing tape wrapped around half of Knuckles' forearms and covered his sharp, pointy knuckles. The trousers were no exception to a modification. On the left pant leg was a large orange flame design. In that very flame was the word "CHAOTIX" written, graffiti styled, in green and yellow. The last 2 to 3 inches of each pant leg were neatly tucked into each of Knuckles' red, green, yellow, and metal plated boots.

Knuckles angrily approached Sonic and questioned, "Just what the hell are YOU doin' here, chump?" Sonic playfully twiddled his thumbs and replied, "Oh, nothing special. I just figured I'd catch a movie, maybe make some new friends, and bake cookies and cupcakes. Who knows? Maybe we can even sing songs around a bonfire and tell ghost stories. What do you THINK I'm here for, genius?!" It instantly registered in Knuckles' mind that Sonic was competing in the tournament. "Look, I dunno what kinda dope you're on that made you think about signing up, but keep in mind that this is a FIGHTING tournament, not a dance contest. Take yo' dumb ass to 'Beat Street' with those bullshit moves of yours." Knuckles irritably commented, referring to Sonic's unique, flashy fighting style. Offended by his rival's remarks, Sonic snapped "Dumbass? Look who's talking! And I gotta say, that's some awfully big talk, coming from somebody that barely held his own against my so-called 'bullshit moves!'" Knuckles growled in anger, remembering the fateful night he and Sonic first bumped heads.

**_FLASHBACK- 2 YEARS AGO…_**

Nestled deep in the city of Westopolis, there lies a venue where a secret fighting federation was founded. The federation has been under investigation of law for scheduling illegal cage fights, supposedly run by a nationwide crime organization. No matter how much research was conducted, little to no evidence led to this rumor being true. The cage matches were held under one simple rule: Two competitors entered, but only one exited. The victor would be rewarded small cut of the funds earned by the federation that night. The loser would be banished from returning to the venue and forever shamed- this was if they actually LIVED through the brawl, of course. Some brawlers would fight to make a reputation for themselves. Others would fight to fatten their wallets. In a certain echidna's case, it was for both reasons. Knuckles, who was 16 years old at the time, had visited this venue and emerged victorious many a night. Such victories have earned him a list of aliases, such as "Kid Chaotix", "Rad Red", and "Angel Island Demon." Knuckles was known in every corner of his city for his hardcore demeanor, lightning speed, solid form, and above all, his abnormally super strength for someone his age and size.

To Knuckles, this didn't come as a big deal. Since the age of 4, his father trained him in Boxing and Kickboxing on a level competing with that of a world professional. At an early age he made superb progress. During his youth, he was told of his lineage to the planet's most feared and respected warrior race in history; the Knuckles Clan. Howbeit, Knuckles, his father, and his mother were the last living descendents. Because of the legacy his ancestors have left before their near extinction, Knuckles fought vigorously in every battle, ensuring that the honor of the majestic tribe would live on. One day, Knuckles' father left him at age 11 after an argument with his mother, concerning something about a "guardian." Aside from partaking in fisticuffs for his own pride, Knuckles used the fight money he earned to help his mother financially at home (unbeknownst to many).

It was yet another night for Knuckles to showcase his skills. As he walked down the dark hallway of the building, he could feel his adrenaline pumping the closer he got to the entrance of the venue. The bass of the aggressive, grimy hip-hop beat he chose as his intro was so heavy that it shook the walls of the narrow passage. "IIIINNN THE LEFT CORNER, WEIGHING A SOLID 168 POUNDS, THE YOUNG KING OF THE RING, BACK TO RAISE HELL IN THE CELL; KNNNNNUCKLLLLLLES THE ECHIIIIIDNAAAAAAAA!" The crowd roared with uncontrollable anticipation as Knuckles entered the cage and casually leaned in the corner with his arms crossed. In Knuckles' mind, this evening wouldn't be any different than the others. His opponent would enter the ring with an immediate fear or underestimation. Once the bell rung, Knuckles would make quick and easy work of his unsuspecting adversary, attacking with speedy but super powerful strikes. It would be a typical night for him. Suddenly, the music switched to a thrilling rock instrumental as the announcer blazoned, "AAAAND IN THE RIGHT CORNER, A NEW CHALLENGER, STANDING 5'8" AND WEIGHING 152 POUNDS, THE 'BLUE BLUR' OF CENTRAL CITY; SOOONIIIIIIIIIIIC THE HEEEEDGEHOOOOOOOOOG!" As Knuckles watched Sonic enter the ring, a red flag raised in his brain. Westopolis High School and Central City High School's sports teams and student bodies had an unbelievably hostile relationship for years. Each of their supporting fan bases only fanned the flames, which would occasionally result in huge brawls at their sporting events. This served as icing on the cake, as two representatives from two rival schools would battle for dominance.

Both Knuckles and Sonic walked to the center of the ring for a quick exchange of words. Knuckles chuckled and said, "So, one of you Central City cowards finally had the nerve to step on OUR turf, huh? ALONE, at that. You've got balls- I'll give ya that. But you're just as stupid, 'cause now, you have to go back to Central City after I embarrass you in front of the whole damn crowd." Rolling his eyes, Sonic scoffed, "Embarrassed? Moi? Tch. Don't get ahead of yourself, dude. Last time I checked, your basketball team hasn't been doing too well this year. CCH set me here to save THEM the trouble of kicking your school's ass, again." Knuckles sucked his teeth in annoyance. "All jokes aside- not that those were jokes- I'm just here to have a little fun n' make some extra pocket change," said Sonic. Knuckles grew irritated with his opponent's cavalier perspective on something he was so passionate about. How dare this simple minded oaf refer to a sport that Knuckles constantly put his reputation, finance, and even his life, on the line for as "a little fun?" Knuckles inched closer to Sonic. "Fun?! If you're lookin' for fun, then take a trip to a carnival or somethin'. You ain't gonna find nothin' here but a quick boot up ya ass!" he hissed. Sonic whistled and replied, "Seems like SOMEBODY'S got a stick up _theirs' _from what I'm seeing. Tell you what: How 'bout we raise the stakes a bit? We'll fight to see who the better school is. The loser either transfers to another school, or tells every student that the winner's school is Numero Uno." Knuckles was getting disgusted with Sonic's mockery. Nevertheless, this was an offer he wouldn't refuse. "Hmph! Alright. Deal! This'll give me a LEGIT reason to whoop your ass, now!" "You _really_ think it's gonna be that easy, don't ya, Dreads?" Sonic retorted. Knuckles cracked his knuckles and neck and replied, "Give me 30 seconds. I'll show better than I can tell you. C'mon!" Knuckles raised his guard and assumed his fighting stance, with Sonic following suit.

***_DING!*_**

At the immediate sound of the bell, Sonic and Knuckles charged at each other. Both fighters threw a single punch, but ended up with their forearms clashing like blades in a sword fight. The two teens side-stepped each other and prepared for their next attacks. Sonic threw a roundhouse kick, then a spinning reverse roundhouse kick from his other leg. Both of which were easily dodged by Knuckles. "Let's see how you like THIS!" said Sonic. Next, he crouched down and attacked with a low roundhouse kick aimed at the side of Knuckles' rib cage. Knuckles was able to block the surprise attack, but narrowly escaped the halo windmill sweep that followed. Sonic spun around in a one-armed handstand and asked, "What's the matter? Is this 'Central City coward' shakin' you up?" Unfazed by his opponent's taunt, Knuckles confidently answered, "Hmph! That wasn't even a warm up! I have yet to show you what I got!" "Well then, show me, O' atrocious one," said Sonic, flipping back to his feet. Knuckles scowled and replied, "Ain't gotta tell ME twice!" Knuckles aggressed, full throttle, with a quick combination of punches. Sonic avoided all strikes with grace and agility. "Hehehe. I'll admit you're pretty fast, but you've got NOTHIN' on _me_ when it comes to speed," he commented. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Knuckles replied in aggravation. "Here; let me show you how it _should _be done!" Sonic said as a devious smirk crept upon his face.

Quickly closing the distance, Sonic unleashed a barrage of super speedy strikes upon Knuckles. Although some were blocked, most of them made full contact at a number of ranges. _"Damn it! This guy's way faster than I thought. I dunno if I can block any more of these!" _Knuckles thought as he held his guard. In spite of the great endurance Knuckles had against Sonic's moderately damaging strikes, the quantity of blows landed quickly caused wear and tear on the echidna. "What was that about 30 seconds? Heh. You'd better set a clock for 30 MINUTES dealing with ME!" Sonic bragged as he threw a spinning reverse roundhouse kick. To Sonic's bewilderment, Knuckles lightly parried the kick, leaving Sonic open for an offensive! "DON'T SCREW WITH ME!" barked a furious Knuckles. He instantly counter attacked with a heavy jab in Sonic's face, a body shot, and a hook to his jaw. Sonic staggered back, his vision blurred and head ringing. _"Maybe I underestimated this guy. Sure, he might not be as _fast_ as I am, but MAN, is he strong! His punches felt like I got clocked with bricks of lead," _Sonic thought as he wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth.

Sonic quickly regained composure as Knuckles came at him with a spinning back fist, which he barely evaded. Knuckles' onrush continued with a spinning side kick to a roundhouse kick on the same leg. Sonic eluded both kicks with a precisely timed back flip, but took a side kick to the chest, courtesy of Knuckles' free leg. The kick was so powerful that it knocked Sonic into the fence of the cage, sending him into a momentary daze. Sonic may have been down, but he was certainly not out. "Ggh. T-there's no way in hell I'm gonna lose to this creep," he said to himself as he struggled to his feet. Refusing to let up, Knuckles attempted to throw a punch at Sonic while he was down, but Sonic rolled to the middle of the ring to escape the trap. Knuckles rushed to the center, throwing a jump roundhouse kick. In that instant, Sonic dodged the kick by lying on his back in a tucked position. As Knuckles' leg sung over him, Sonic spun on his back, awaiting an opening in Knuckles' defense. Once an opening was found, Sonic launched himself off the floor and, while upside down, planted a dynamic kick directly into Knuckles' chin, knocking him off his feet. Still in mid- air, Sonic performed a half back flip and landed a missile kick into the echidna's chest, sending him crashing to the floor. The audience went wild from witnessing the feat. In defiance of Knuckles being the #1 contender of the ring, no one had ever seen a fighter hold his own against him for as long as Sonic did. "Okay. I'm done playing around. Let's get serious," said Sonic, a solemn glare in his eyes. Rising back to his feet, Knuckles spat out a gob of blood and replied, "Glad to know we're finally on the same page. Now, I don't have to hold back!"

As the fight progressed, the two continued to contend with each other, blow for blow, for what felt like hours. With every passing second, Sonic and Knuckles damaged each other, but kept fighting. With every moment, the two teenaged warriors would deceive one another in an ongoing battle of wits, finesse, and technique. All the while, they continued to trade arrogant remarks. Both were built to go the distance: One person's strength would rival the other, while one's speed would rival that of his opponent's. Sonic and Knuckles' most powerful physical assets seemed to be evenly matched in way that was incomprehensible. Finally, the battle's longevity had begun to diminish, as both Sonic AND Knuckles had beaten each other to the brink of exhaustion. Battered, bruised, and bloodied, the two fighters were barely able to remain standing. Be that as it may, the fact that both had found an adversary that would push them to their limits made them want to continue. _"Hahaha. I can't lie: I'm impressed. This guy is the real deal. I'm surprised I made it THIS long against him,"_ Sonic thought as he panted forcefully and observed his rival from afar. Knuckles, equally drained of his energy, thought, "_Man. Never in my life have I fought somebody like him. THIS must be what a TRUE battle feels like. Nonetheless…_"

_"…__this is where it ends!"_

Fueled by their burning fury, as well as their egos, it was as if the two shared the exact same thoughts. Both prepared for one final attack that would seal the outcome of the match. As Sonic and Knuckles charged at each other, passionate battle cries escaping the very depths of their souls, both combatants simultaneously struck one another. Sonic landed a devastating roundhouse kick on Knuckles' head, whereas Knuckles landed an equally power-packed cross jab on Sonic's face. As a result, both fighters fell on their backs from the exchanged blows.

**_*DING!* *DING!* *DING!*_**

The bell had rung. The match was over. The entire venue was left awestruck from a shocking conclusion that never occurred. Neither Sonic nor Knuckles were able to stand and proclaim victory. The final result was officially confirmed as a draw! In anguish, Sonic laughed, "I-I wonder which one our schools is the b-best, now…eheheheh…uuuh." With his energy completely depleted, Sonic passed out. Knuckles, on the other hand, wasn't as pleased with the outcome. "T-this isn't over, hedgehog. N-not by a long shot," Knuckles moaned as he, too, faded into a state of unconsciousness.

**_END OF FLASHBACK_**

Knuckles was seething after the haunting stroll down memory lane. "Let's get one thing understood: what happened 2 years back won't happen again. THAT much I can guarantee! Then again, why wait for the tournament when we can settle this right here and NOW?!" Knuckles challenged as he shoved Sonic. Far from intimidated by Knuckles' aggression, Sonic was willing to go toe-to-toe at a moment's notice. "Well, there's no time like the present!" replied Sonic. Before an outright brawl could commence, security rushed over to the two teens and separated them. "Hey! HEY! COOL IT! BOTH OF YOU!" A massive rhinoceros commanded. "YEAH! BREAK IT UP, YOU TWO! SAVE THAT CRAP FOR THE TOURNAMENT!" An equally large gorilla remarked. The fight ended before it could start, yet there was still evident animosity between Sonic and Knuckles. "Your ass is grass, Sonic. Bet on it!" The rugged echidna vowed as he departed for his processing. Although his resolve was not swayed, Sonic realized that the mission to rescue Uncle Chuck was nevertheless jeopardized. "If _he's_ competing in the tournament, then winning may be tougher than I thought. And I haven't even seen what the other fighters can do, yet," Sonic said to himself.

**_2 Weeks Later…_**

**Kyutozaka Perfecture- Crimson Cloak Enterprise Headquarters 8:40 p.m.**

Another day has ended. Crimson Cloak Enterprise has seen yet another day of hard work. Everyone has left the office to enjoy what's left of the evening; everyone except for a few security guards and two employees. On one of the highest tiers of the large corporate establishment, a lime green hedgehog walks into an information system laboratory to check on one of its top associates. "Pulling another all-nighter, Mai?" the hedgehog said to a female red panda. Mai spun from her computer to face him. "Mm-hmm. The day would have been over hours ago if we weren't holding this tournament." The hedgehog hunched his shoulders. "Hey, don't blame me. I'm just the assistant. Take it up to the top dog," he stated, sipping his can a soda. Mai sighed, "I know. I know. This database of files is just so extensive for only 16 entries. It's taken me all day to get the travel arrangements, battlegrounds and so many other things organized and locked in the system." Not wanting to see the beautiful red panda suffer any longer, the hedgehog commented, "Listen, Mai. You've been working too hard on this ever since they made the announcement. You keep this up any longer n' you're gonna burn yourself out." "I understand, but-"

"Ah, ah, ah. No 'buts,'" the hedgehog interrupted. "Tell you what: I'll take care of the rest of the work for you. How bad could it be?" Flabbergasted by his suggestion, Mai replied, "A-are you sure? I mean, it would be greatly appreciated, but there's a lot of information that needs to be reviewed before it's finalized and sent away." "Not a problem. Just head home for the day. You've done enough. And hey. If you need a little extra 'stress relief', I'm always willing to lend a hand… or two," said the hedgehog with an amorous smirk. The red panda returned a devilish smile of her own and teased, "Now, now. You must remember: business before pleasure." "True, but who ever said we can't find pleasure doing 'business?'" The hedgehog seductively replied, coming within an inch of distance to her lovely visage. Mai sensually placed her index finger on his lips before he could proceed. "We'll have to save this for another time." "Aww, you're no fun!" the hedgehog playfully pouted, "Don't sweat it, Mai. You're in good hands. Just rest up, 'kay?" With a nod and a wink, Mai gratefully replied, "I know I am. Thanks again, Manic. Goodnight!"

Manic the Hedgehog, 25, is the executive assistant of Crimson Cloak Enterprise. Several years ago Manic was confronted by a childhood friend who asked him to join the corporate world. He initially refused the proposition, wishing to stay with his family. However, once his old acquaintance threatened the very people Manic held dearly, he reluctantly decided to join forces, leaving his home without warning. Throughout the years of his affiliation with Crimson Cloak Enterprise, Manic has been one of the top officers of the mega-corporation. Next to the CEO himself, Manic has been responsible for the expansion and stabilization of the company. With a savvy laid back demeanor and intelligence in a diverse range of skill sets, he has the uncanny ability to oversee any department Crimson Cloak Enterprise operates with ease (even members of Kyutozaka's military). With not only great leadership skills, but an open mind and heart, Manic garnered the respect and admiration of thousands (especially females). In spite of his hand in the empire's consistent growth, Manic felt guilt and discontent with the measures he would often have to resort to for successful results. He had to constantly force himself to believe that it was all part of the job.

The hedgehog took his seat in front of the computer, stretching his fingers as he prepared for the moderate work load. "Let's get this party started," Manic said as he clicked on the files of the first competitor. " Hm. She's pretty cute. Waaaaay below the age limit, though," Manic commented on the picture of a pink teenage hedgehog. 15 minutes later, he looked into the profile of an enormous beige polar bear. "Hoooooly Hell! _HE'S_ gonna be in the tournament? I haven't seen this guy fight in years! Boy, do I feel sorry for the poor bastard that _he_ has fight!" Manic exclaimed in excitement. For over 2 hours, he reviewed each contestant's profile thoroughly to ensure all the arrangements and information was correct. Rest assured; the administrative division had exceeded the company's expectations. Manic was pleased with the roster (somewhat). "Geez. Another one? What's up with all these kids entering a friggin' blood sport?" he commented as he viewed the files of a yellow adolescent squirrel. As another 20 minutes passed, Manic began to review the profile of a sexy white bat that earned an uncontainable cat call. "HOT DAMN! If I knew a babe like her would be entering, I would've signed up, myself," he remarked, taking a few extra minutes of thorough insight.

Finally, Manic was down to the last three contestants. Having just finished reviewing the files of a silver combatant that looked more like a comic book hero, he scrolled to see who the following entry was. The next name Manic saw, however, nearly made his heart stop. "S-SONIC?!" He couldn't believe his eyes, but it was true. His long-lost little brother, Sonic the Hedgehog, was one of the competitors of the Fist of Chaos world tournament. "My God. He's grown so much. I haven't seen his face since I…" Manic, instantly recollecting the events of his childhood leading to the trials, tribulations, and misdeeds of his current line of employment, realized that Sonic was in grave danger. He knew not of Sonic's motives for his entry, but had a hunch that they were of dire urgency. Seeing and experiencing the immeasurable deviance of Crimson Cloak Enterprise, first hand, Manic knew no good would come of this. Should Sonic make it to the final battle of the tournament, he would face an opponent so powerful and ruthless that his survival against them would not be promised. This was an outcome Manic could not allow! Upon finishing his work, Manic immediately departed from the corporate headquarters. "Even if I have to chase him around the world, I'm gonna find Sonic and stop him. I've got to end this before it all begins," Manic vowed, "I just hope I can reach him in time. Still, the hardest part will be showing my face after all these years…"

* * *

**_Whelp, that's about it for this chapter, ladies n' gents. Figured I go back to the old days where Knux was the ORIGINAL rival (O.G., son). Stay tuned, 'cause now things are REALLY gonna kick up since the tournament officially starts! If it was too lengthy, my apologies, but I can only make these chapters as long or short as they're envisioned._**

**_By the way, as far as that "halo windmill" is concerned, that's actually a breakdancing move. If anyone doesn't know what it looks like, look up the video "_**_**Windmill Variations Breakdance" on YouTube. Just wanted Sonic's fighting style to stay true to its "b-boy" roots. **_**_Anyways, leave a review with the good, bad and ugly. As always, constructive criticism is welcome. Hope you all enjoyed and thanks for reading! Deuces, silly gooses!_**

**_Author's inspirational playlist:_**

**_Unknown from M.E (instrumental) - Sonic Adventure 2 Ost_**

**_Neck uv da Woods (instrumental) - Mystikal ft. Outkast_**

**_Night of Tempest- Dragonball Z Budokai 3 Ost_**

**_Dante's Office 7 Hell's Battle- Devil May Cry 3 Ost_**

**_Authentic Sky- Tekken 4 Ost_**

**_Fetus- Tekken 4 Ost_**


	5. Round 1:The Young Aviator

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Sonic and the characters used in this fan fiction are copyrighted by SEGA, DIC, and Archie Comics.**

**_Guess who's back? … No, not Shady. Wrong answer. *Sigh* Anyway, it's time for another chapter of Fist of Chaos! The stage is set. The word has been announced worldwide. And the curtain for the first Fist of Chaos World Martial Arts Tournament is finally due to open. For future reference, it will be very important for everyone to pay close attention to the tournament events, so the brackets will flow easily to them. With that being said, LLLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!_**

* * *

**Round 1: The Young Aviator**

**Broadcasting Live from Chaos Stadium - Central City**

4 weeks preceding the events that occurred, it was time for the world martial arts competition to take place. Tens of Thousands of patrons and enthusiast gathered under one roof, bursting with anticipation. Millions, if not billions, of viewers were sitting in the comfort of their own homes, tuned in to the exhilarating sporting event. Nevertheless, audiences from every corner of the globe anxiously awaited the beginning of the most phenomenal competition in history: The Fists of Chaos Tournament.

"LADIEEEES AND GENTLEMEN! ARE YOU READY TO EXPERIENCE THE MOST EXCITING EVENT OF THE CENTURY?!" A yellow female cat dressed in red and black attire asked. Of course, the large audience responded with cheers and applause. "Hahaha! I KNEW you were! I'm your hostess with the most, Honey the Cat, and I'm delighted to welcome you all to the world's first Fist of Chaos Tournament! The rules of this competition are pretty simple: We have 16 fierce contestants that will duke it out to be the number one contender! Two competitors per round will face off on a designated battleground in a test of skills and strength. The winner of said round will advance to the next bracket, whereas the loser will be sent packing. All combatants are encouraged to fight well, and fight like they mean it! IT'S GO BIG OR GO HOME, BABY!" The crowd goes wild from Honey's ecstatic proclamation!

"ALRIGHTY, THEN! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IT'S TIME FOR THE 8TH FINALS START! For our first match we have:

**Sonic the Hedgehog**:

Origin: Central City

Age: 17

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 152 lbs.

Discipline: Capoeria, Wushu and Kenpo Hybrid Style with Improvised Techniques

Occupation: High School Student, Courier

**_VS._**

**Miles Prower**:

Origin: Aero Colony- District ALPHA-188

Age: 11

Height: 4' 11.25"

Weight: 100 lbs.

Discipline: Tae Kwon Do and Excerpts of Special Forces Combat Training

Occupation: Student, Scientist, Mechanic, Pilot

"THE MATCH STARTS AS SOON AS THE TWO CONTESTANTS CROSS PATHS!" Honey gracefully tossed her microphone in the air and caught it behind her back. Pointing to the sky, the feline exclaimed, "LET THE BATTLLLLE BEGIIIIIIIN!"

**10:55 Aero Colony**

Aero Colony: The hovering capital of Aeronautics and Astronautics research and development. Established by the founder and previous CEO of the Robotnik Technology Group, Gerald Robotnik, Aero Colony was constructed nearly a century ago as not only a scientific facility, but a prototype and home base for the construction of a space colony. Over several decades, the colony served as a storage unit for inventory needed in the space colony before it ceased operation. Today, it serves as a military headquarters for the United Federation's Air Combat Allegiance, the top educational safe haven for engineers worldwide, and a living habitat for thousands of inhabitants. Highly advanced in the world of technology, Aero Colony is responsible for the innovation of many advanced aircrafts and vehicles that provide quick, effective transportation. However, not everyone was up to speed on the world's technological evolution.

"Sigh. How much longer is this gonna take?" Sonic whined, as he impatiently fidgeted in the leather seats of an old plane. Its pilot, an elderly hare, replied, "It shouldn't be too much longer. Should have ya there in about 15 minutes!" "Dude! You said that TWO HOURS ago! Are we stuck in the Twilight Zone or something?! Geez!" Sonic crossed his arms in aggravation and seethed, "Aaagh! Just great. Now, I'm stuck thousands of miles in the air with two fossils. One's the plane; the other's the friggin' pilot!" Sonic's inconsiderate remark instantly struck a nerve. "I'll have YOU know that this baby has done me dandy for over 30 years and I have yet to hear any complaints! Sit on THAT!" Sonic retorted, "Yeah, that's probably because nobody ever wanted to travel with 'Rust Bucket Airlines' again. Tch. Bet they learned their lesson after the first flight they took with YOU, didn't they?" "Well, if ya think my service is so gosh-darn terrible, maybe you should just exit stage left and hoof it from here. Let's see how THAT'LL work out fer ya!" The hornery hare snapped. Sonic, who was well annoyed at this point, nearly put the retort in consideration, but swallowed his pride and changed his demeanor. He sighed, "Listen, old timer. With all due respect, I'm kind of on an important mission here. Do you think there's any way you could-" "IMPORTANT MISSION?! HA!" The hare interjected, "You kids think yer hot stuff, nowadays, dontcha? Well, lemme tell ya somethin', sonny. You wouldn't know a REAL mission if it bit you in the caboose! I'll tell you about the air raid of the Battle against Kyutozaka. It was a still night, when me and my two wingmates-"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Sonic interrupted. "Hold on, dude. I just wanted to know if you could come up with a route or something to speed things up a bit. I don't wanna hear any of your war stories! So, if you can PLEASE…" "Alright! Fine. Disrespectful whipper-snapper." With the flick of a switch, a push of a button, and a few pulled levers, the pilot reluctantly complied with Sonic's request. Luckily, it seemed to work, as the plane greatly accelerated. However, Sonic noticed that an Educational Transportation Aircraft filled with children was passing them at a slow but steady pace. Perplexed, Sonic asked, "Hey, uh…old man? Just out of morbid curiosity, exactly how much faster have we been going since then?" "Let me check my speedometer," the pilot replied, "Looks like we picked up an extra…15 miles per hour! Just hang on tight, and we'll be there in too shakes of a lamb's-" "Oh, SCREW _THIS!"_ Sonic exclaimed, quickly unbuckling his seatbelt. Sonic rose from his seat and opened the air-tight hatch on the side of the plane, much to the pilot's surprise. "KID, WHAT IN TARNATION DO YA THINK YER DOIN'?!" he yelled. Sonic smirked and replied, "Remember what you said about 'leaving the plane and hoofin' it?' That's starting to sound like a pretty good idea, right about now!" Needless to say, the pilot was shocked that Sonic took the back-handed insult seriously. "YOU'VE LOST YER MARBLES, KID! GET BACK IN HERE AND SHUT THAT DAMN HATCH!" "Sorry, pops, but I've got a schedule to keep. I can't let a flight delay slow me down! SEE YA!" And on that note, Sonic audaciously exited the plane.

In the midst of his free fall, Sonic landed on an oncoming aircraft. After a few brief moments of keen observation, he jumped with well timed precision onto the next oncoming vehicle. These daring stunts continued for several vehicles until Sonic's destination was finally in plain sight. "Heh. I would've done this a long time ago if I knew it was faster," Sonic commented. In spite of a few close calls, as well as causing a disturbance in air traffic, Sonic realized he made the right decision. It came to his attention that a formation of four T-38s was performing its routine drills. Sonic had an idea that would bring him directly to the designated battleground. The formation suddenly broke and the T-38s dispersed in different directions. To Sonic's delight, one of the four jets was quickly heading towards him. "BINGO!" He shouted. Without a second to spare, Sonic leaped into the air and grabbed onto the wing of the jet. The pilot of the jet attempted to shake the hedgehog off the appendage, but Sonic held on for dear life. "Command, this is Lieutenant Hawking. I have an unidentified blue hedgehog latched on my starboard wing. I highly believe he may be related to the uproar near District FOXTROT. Requesting permission to dispose of him." "_Uh-oh. THAT can't be good_," Sonic thought. "REQUEST DENIED. Report to headquarters with the suspect, as soon as possible." "Roger. Reporting to headquarters at once." The pilot responded. The jet made a sudden U-Turn back to the place Sonic intended to go: The United Federation Air Combat Allegiance Headquarters (a massive airship equivalent to the length of about 5 football fields combined). To his confusion, Sonic noticed Lieutenant Hawking forming a devious smirk as he approached the vessel. As the jet hovered above the airship, Lieutenant Hawking suddenly executed a barrel roll and flung the unsuspecting, wailing hedgehog onto the flight deck of the vessel. With an audible "THUD", Sonic made a rather agonizing landing on the metallic rooftop. "Uuuuuuuugh. What…A…Jerk-off," Sonic painfully moaned, "Well, now that I'm here, I wonder if anyone will be willing to show me around?" "FREEZE! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!" Without warning, Sonic found himself at gunpoint of UFACA personnel. "Yyyyeah. When I said I was looking for a tour guide, this wasn't the type of 'welcome' I had in mind."

After half an hour of detainment, the brigade finally released Sonic after clarification of his entry in the competition. Although confused as to why the UFACA would agree to such a farfetched request, they complied with Sonic's explanation. As he sat in the waiting room, an athletic, 20-year-old husky entered with a warm grin. "Sup, bro? Name's Airman First Class Noire. I take it you're the guy that's fighting in the tournament, right?" Sonic shook his hand and replied, "Yeah, that's me. I guess I'm gettin' pretty popular around here, huh?" Noire laughed and said, "Yep. Everybody's talkin' about how you were 'so reckless' and 'Only a jackass would do something that retarded.' But between you and me, I tip my hat to you, dude. I mean, you gotta have friggin, BALLS to even THINK pulling off the shit you did. Bravo!" "Oh, dude, you have NO idea!" Sonic boasted. "Hey, how 'bout I show around a bit?" "Sounds good to me!" So, Noire gave Sonic the grand tour of nearly every authorized area that came to mind, introducing him to the military staff members along the way. Despite an unsettling beginning, the UFACA personnel eventually warmed up to Sonic's cool attitude. Sonic had to admit that he was enjoying his time aboard the airship, so much so that he nearly forgot about the upcoming fight. For some odd reason, though, Sonic noticed his watch glowing gradually brighter as Noire and himself explored the vessel. It wasn't a green light like before, but a bright yellow light. _"Hmm. It's reacting, again. I wonder if…"_

"Ten-ch-HUT!" With a mere utterance, the mellow vibe instantly changed. Every Airman in the general vicinity quickly assumed the position of attention. Howbeit, Sonic wasn't quite hip to the customs and courtesies of the military. "Um, dude. Were we playing a game of freeze tag the whole time or…?" he queried. Noire and the other Airmen remained silent and stiff as statues. "Oh! The silent treatment, eh? That's one helluva way to give me the cold shoulder." "Their doing that because the commanding officer is in our presence, you idiot," an irritable voice said. Sonic turned around to find a muscular Doberman standing behind him. By the looks of things, the Doberman was not too happy to see Sonic. "Carry On," yet another voice commanded. The crew immediately resumed their duties. "We weren't trying to give you the cold shoulder or nothin', dude. That's just how things roll here." Noire reassured Sonic. Just then, a tall grey cat, dress in a navy blue suit and tie with a vast assortment of ribbons and medals, walked down the nearby staircase of the passageway. "Ah, so you must be Sonic the Hedgehog. I've heard…quite a story about you. I'm Colonel Baxter Trout; the commanding officer of this airship." "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Sonic said as he exchanged a handshake with Colonel Trout. "Pleasure?! It should be an HONOR! Have some respect!" the Doberman spat. "And THIS fine gentleman is First Lieutenant Gerald Hawking," Colonel Trout said. "It's nice to finally run into you…AGAIN," Lieutenant Hawking sarcastically commented, referring to their previous incident. "Likewise," Sonic replied, with equal sarcasm and a dirty look to match. To cut the tension, Colonel Trout intervened, "Well, Sonic, I wish you and your opponent the best of luck in your fight this afternoon, and may the best man win. However, there is one condition you must meet before you proceed." "What's that?" Sonic asked. "Please refrain from damaging any of our equipment in the midst of combat. Understood?" "Sir, yes sir!" Sonic exclaimed, standing at attention and saluting the officer. Lieutenant Hawking and Noire smacked their foreheads in embarrassment. Colonel Trout chuckled, "That's the spirit. Lieutenant, Noire, bring him to the hangar. I'll be in my office if I'm needed." "Roger!" the two responded.

Minutes later Sonic, Lieutenant Hawking and Noire proceeded into the airship's hangar, where a few Airmen and Airwomen were working. It was rather large and had very few windows, but was still well lit for its size. The hangar contained two tiers. The first floor consisted of a fighter jet undergoing maintenance, as well as an area marked off as an extensive aircraft elevator. The second floor, which was where the group had entered, was a mezzanine that contained an office, various switches and a modest workshop for the mechanics aboard. On the wall was a mural of a fusion between a bald eagle and a Dive Bomber, designed with the UFACA emblem and a ribbon that stated _"SOAR HIGH. FLY FAR. FIGHT HARD"_. It was downright astonishing! "Alright, I've done my part. Noire, you take it from here," Lieutenant Hawking commanded. "Sir, wasn't there an additional-" "I said, 'I'VE DONE MY PART.' Take over! Be damned I'm gonna sit here and be a friggin' babysitter to TWO brats! I better not catch any of you screwin' off in here when I get back! Comprende?" Noire only swallowed his pride and followed his instruction as the cranky Lieutenant departed. "That guy seems like a real chode," Sonic commented. "You have NO idea," Noire sighed, "but that's neither here nor there. You wanna see somethin' crazy?" "Sure. I'm game!" Sonic replied. Noire smirked and whistled, "Hey, freak show! Front 'n center!" "Freak show? Hmm…"

After a moment of metal "clunks" and "clanks", a prepubescent, yellow-orange fox emerged from beneath a jet and scurried up the mezzanine's staircase. The fox wore a pair of pilot's goggles on his forehead, which where overcastted by three protruding bangs of fur. He wore a navy blue and brown pilot's jacket that contained series of zippers, light grey gloves, dark red cargo pants, and a pair of red shoes with white tips. What REALLY caught Sonic's attention was the fact that this young fox had not one, but TWO bushy tails! _"Oooh. So THAT'S what he meant. Still, that's pretty messed up to call the kid a 'freak show,'" _Sonic thought. The fox nervously said, "D-did you request to see me, Airman Noire?" Noire glared at the fox boy, "Just how long is it gonna take you finish your maintenance check-up on that T-38, huh? We'll be halfway across the planet if you keep this up!" "I'm sorry, Airman Noire. I'm almost done with the last jet. I just need to finish checking on the hydraulic system for any leaks, damages and- "Look, I don't need a college dissertation about what's left, Okay?! Just get it done!" Noire scolded. The fox made his way halfway down the staircase before Noire stopped him in his tracks, once more. "Uh, HELLO? Don't you see we have company here? Don't just run off; INTRODUCE YOURSELF!" Realizing that Noire was giving the boy a hard time, Sonic shook his head, smiled and calmly asked, "So, what's your name, kid?" The fox, clearly a tad on the timid side, replied, "I-I'm Miles Prower." "Heh. Nice to meet ya, bro. I'm Sonic; Sonic the Hedge-…WAIT a minute. Um, say again?" The name sounded familiar but Sonic was unsure. "My name is Miles Prower," The boy annunciated. "YOU'RE Miles Prower? THE Miles Prower?" Sonic questioned, clearly vexed. "Uh…yeah. I'm the only Miles Prower _I_ know, at least" Miles replied. "This is insane! YOU'RE my first opponent? But, you're barely off the baby bottle, squirt. How did guys your age slip through the cracks?" Miles remained silent. "Eh, whatever. Anyways, tell me your story. Why'd you enter?" Surprised that someone would actually take an interest in his motive, Miles began to speak.

"Well, since I was little I've always taken an interest in science and machinery. One of my biggest influences is the Robotnik Technology Group. The discoveries and inventions they made throughout transcribed history left an impact on my life. Since then, I've been tinkering with an assortment of vehicles and machinery for a while now, but the knowledge I acquired through studying and hands-on experimentation was quite rewarding." It seemed that Sonic was unable to judge a book by its cover. Considering how intelligent and well-spoken the boy was, Sonic had a feeling that Miles was far from a normal kid. He was a genius! Miles continued, "In my spare time, I came up with an awesome blueprint for the ideal combat jet, perpetually powered by Chaos Energy. I actually own a Chaos Emerald that can be used as a power source." Miles then unveiled a small, yellow gem from the pocket of his jacket. "_I WAS RIGHT! There WAS an emerald here, all along!" _Sonic thought. "Unfortunately, the resources to construct the jet are beyond my reach, and to produce more than one jet, I need additional power sources. So I decided to enter the Fist of Chaos tournament, which will raise the odds of acquiring the equipment and power sources I need. If I win, hopefully I can fulfill my dream of catching my idol, Dr. Ivo Robotnik's attention and working with the Robotnik Technology Group as the youngest Aeronautical Engineer in the world," Miles happily concluded.

Sonic was impressed by such an elaborate mission for someone so young, yet most of the crew members that heard the story burst into hysterical laughter (except Noire). "Ahahahaha. Ohohohoho, MAN! YOU? Work for the RTG? And at 11 years old? Please tell me: In WHAT CENTURY do you plan to accomplish this goal?!" A blue falcon jested. The vigorous look on the fox's face soon began to fade. Nonetheless, the harassment would not cease as a female fennec teased, "Hell, if RTG actually DOES notice him, which they won't, that walking side-show would probably end up as a friggin' science experiment! 'BY THE GODS! We've never seen anything like it. He's not of this world!'Hahahaha!" Noticing Miles' discontent, Sonic finally snapped and decided to speak his mind. "HEY, KNOCK IT OFF, ASSHATS!" With the laughter silence, Sonic was met with distasteful glares from the crew, yet he held his ground "Since when did shooting down this kid's dreams become trendy in the military? I thought you guys were supposed to be professionals here! Guess I was TERRIBLY mistaken! Anyway, the kid's got a crazy plan he's trying to set in motion, and, personally, I feel he's brainy enough to pull it off! I mean, since you guys must SUCK at being mechanics, he's probably your best chance in making sure these jets stay in tip-top condition, ain't he?!" "Just WHO the hell do you think-" Noire interrupted the blue falcon from confronting Sonic. He realized that he was just as guilty as the others for downsizing Miles because of his differences and aspiration. Shifting the mood, Noire looked at Miles and said, "Well, you're not gonna get even CLOSE to that goal just dinkin' around up here with us, right?" Miles shook his head. "Then what are you waiting for? Get down there and fight for that dream of yours, 'Tails'!" Although slightly annoyed by the use his most infamous nickname, Miles ecstatically walked down the staircase and stopped in the center of the elevator. "You too, blue balls. Get your ass down there! We wanna see a show!" Receiving a playful push, Sonic quickly joined him on the first floor. "Looks like it's about time for a showdown, Tails (Heh. I like that name)! Think you can keep up with me?" said Sonic as he hopped in place. The humble fox assumed his fighting stance, replying, "I'll do my best!" "That's what I like to here," Sonic cheerfully commented as he signaled Miles (or Tails as they preferred) to "come forth", "Alright. Bring it on!"

**_***FIGHT!***_**

The ambitious fox initiated the first move with a flying side kick, although it was easily avoided by Sonic. Quickly regaining his balanced from the attack, Tails continued to assault Sonic by throwing a combination of fluid kicks. Sonic was able to block and dodge them, but was a bit impressed by the technique the two-tailed canine displayed. "Eh, not bad, squirt. Not bad at all. Now, lemme show you what _I_ got!" Sonic crouched on bended knee to perform his special Spin Dash, an original technique that would allow him to spin in place in the fetal position while charging for super acceleration. Once the Spin Dash was executed, Tails realized he had a very limited opportunity to react as Sonic sped toward him. Within a mere second of impact, Sonic sprang several feet into the air, floating above Tails. "Keep your eye on the ball, buddy!" Sonic teased. In mid air, Sonic attacked with a lightning fast Somersault Kick, which Tails managed to block by the skin of his teeth. The boy shoved Sonic's leg away with his crossed forearms in an attempt to throw off Sonic's balance. Sonic, however, cunningly back flipped from Tails defensive maneuver and made a solid landing. _"Whoa! He's really fast! And his moves; I've never seen anything like them!" _Tails thought, astounded by his opponent's finesse in battle, _"This won't be easy, but I've GOTTA prove that I can keep up with him!"_ Next, Tails threw a swift side kick, following a roundhouse kick. Despite the sudden change of pace, Sonic dodged the two kicks. Directly after, Tails launched a 540 hook kick that grazed Sonic's forehead. "Whoooa. SOMEBODY'S feeling froggy all of a sudden," Sonic commented, "Gimme all ya got, Tails! _Heh. I like that name._" Tails, however, was NOT amused and decided to strike back. Sonic evaded one of Tails' kicks with a Corkscrew flip then countered with a low sweep, knocking Tails off his feet. Tails caught himself, but narrowly escaped a no hand cartwheel kick that Sonic performed. Recollecting his awareness, Tails prepared for an attack that was sure to weaken Sonic's defense. "Take THIS!" he shouted. Tails leaped into the air and, while doing a 720 spin, aggressed with a Tail Swipe. Sonic was able to block the first strike, but the force of the blow was so fast and powerful that it felt like swords slashing his flesh. Surprisingly, Tails did an additional Tail Swipe that inevitably made Sonic his guard. _"Now I've got him!"_ Tails thought. Seizing the opportunity to land a few blows, Tails attacked Sonic with a spinning high side kick, following a mid range side kick and a reverse roundhouse kick. Each blow did fair damage to Sonic, but he held his ground and parried a Tornado Kick that Tails attempted to land. With his balance disrupted, Tails was attacked by Sonic's speedy hand strikes, which were succeed by a helicopter kick and a gainer that floored him.

The on-looking crew members went wild at two young warriors' incredible moves. It was without question that the audience at Chaos Stadium, as well as the viewers at home, was DEFINITELY getting their money's worth! "Wow! I've gotta hand it to you, kid; you got skills! You've got a lot of potential, I'll tell ya that!" Sonic cheerfully complimented. Wearily rising to his feet, Tails replied, "T-thanks a lot, Sonic! They pale in comparison to your style, though. It's AMAZING!" "Well, what can I say? I am ME, after all," Sonic bragged, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, "So, you ready to continue?" "Yeah, Let's-"

**_*KAWOOMP!*_**

The entrance to the ship's hangar flew open, courtesy of an infuriated Lieutenant Hawking. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! THIS IS A GODDAMN MILITARY AIRSHIP, NOT A FRICKIN' DOJO! AND WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU ALL WORKING?! WE'RE SET TO PULL UP AT THE DISTRICT ALPHA AIR-DOCKS IN 20 MINUTES! HURRY UP AND MAN YOUR MOTHERFRAGGIN' STATIONS, NOW!" "ROGER, LIEUTENANT HAWKING!" The crew exclaimed as they frantically exited the hangar. Lieutenant Hawking directed his attention to Sonic and Tails, next. "As for you two, I refuse to have a couple of undisciplined brats like yourselves tearing up ANY of my shit! So, I'm gonna PERSONALLY solve this problem!" Lieutenant Hawking walked over to a large red button located on the wall. Because he possessed vast knowledge of the airship's operating systems, Tails knew exactly what that button does and dreaded the hazardous measure that the angry Lieutenant was about to resort to. "Lieutenant Hawking! NO!" "SHUT IT!" The hot headed Doberman barked, "Since you two want to play your little game on OUR court, I think it'd be a lot better for you kids to play OUTSIDE!" With the button pushed, Sonic and Tails felt the platform they stood on rumble slightly as an alarm blared. Next thing they knew, the aircraft elevator slowly began to descend. "Oh, dude, you are gonna get SO discharged for this!" Sonic remarked.

The elevator finally concluded it declension from the hangar and stopped 10 feet below the bottom of the airship. _"I should've known there would be a catch to this," _Sonic thought as he observed the superfluous quantity of clouds and aircrafts below him, the wind blowing through his quills. "Not what I was expecting, but hey; this _is_ what we signed up for, right?" Sonic joked. The timid fox looked away and remained silent, considering he was highly nervous at this point. "HEY!" Tails immediately snapped out of his catatonic state and looked at Sonic, who stared back at him with a stern glare in his emerald colored eyes. "You're not gonna let a little change of scenery stop you, are ya? _I'M_ sure as hell not!" said Sonic, attempting to boost his opponents morale, "When you say you're gonna do your best, you had better follow through! Got it?!" After a brief moment of silence, Tails finally came to his senses and nodded, "Roger!" "We'll just see about that! You ready?!" Sonic replied as he assumed his stance once more. "Ready!" answered Tails, putting up a brave front.

The fight resumed with Sonic unleashing string of flashy kicks that dealt moderate damage to the preteen fox. Upon noticing the change in his older adversary's demeanor, Tails knew it was time for him to get just as serious and focus on the battle. Tails quickly retaliated with a combination of alternating roundhouse kicks, following a mid ranged spinning back fist and a straight jab. Sonic was barely able to block each attack, but succeeded in doing so. Right after his previous strike, Tails threw a spinning side kick, but Sonic agilely ducked it and countered with a double spinning handstand kick. Tails suffered a brief knock-back, but caught his footing just in the nick of time. With a quick kip-up, Sonic returned to his feet and launched a launched a 540 double leg kick. Tails narrowly evaded the elaborate attack by diving, tucking and rolling, and chose to strike while Sonic's back was turned. Sonic, however notice the young fox in his peripheral as Tails tried to attack with a jump spinning back kick. In mid-air, Tails additionally Tail Swiped Sonic and went for a jump spinning crescent kick. Much to Tails' surprise, Sonic caught Tails' leg at the last second. Retaining a firm grip on Tails' limb, Sonic elbowed Tails in the gut, threw a nasty haymaker, and knocked him off his feet with a sweep kick. "You gotta be a little bit faster than THAT, buddy," Sonic taunted. The fox slowly rose to his feet in anguish, at a loss for words by Sonic's outstanding level of skill. "Ready when you are" said Sonic, tapping his foot impatiently.

Tails was utterly dumbfounded that someone as unique as Sonic existed (and not just because of his speed and prowess). He was unable to concentrate throughout the remainder of the fight. All Tails could think about was how amazing his opponent was. How nonchalant yet steadfast and determined he remained in unexpected circumstances. How he stuck up for him when no one else ever did, despite having just met each other. It was those very thoughts that gave Tails a sense of respect and even admiration for the blue hedgehog. As much as he idolized Dr. Ivo Robotnik and the Robotnik Technology Group, deep down Tails began to see another influential figure. _"I wish I can be like this guy, one day. He's so…cool,"_ the boy thought. "HEADS UP!" Returning to his senses, Tails was unaware that he had lost complete focus and had discovered he was standing dangerously close to edge of the platform. Unfortunately Sonic was in the middle of a Spin Attack, and Tails took a blow to the face, causing him to stagger off the elevator. "WHOA! HOLD ON, KID!" yelled Sonic as he slid to rescue his foe. Luckily, Sonic caught Tails' hand just in time, but found himself hanging on to the edge of the platform, as a result.

_"__Damn it! I was NOT intending on dying, today!"_ he irritably thought. Lieutenant Hawking and the crew immediately rushed to discuss a rescue plan, but realized that they would do more harm than good. It would take 5 minutes for the emergency override system to reboot. Even after the system would be up and running, they would be taking a risk of crushing Sonic's arm or losing Tails. With very few options and just as little time, everyone assumed the worst for Sonic and Tails. "I don't know if I can hold on much longer," Sonic grunted in unease. Tails, fearful of an early grave, knew this would be the end of them both if help didn't come quick. Somehow, that same fear of death enabled him to think of a plan. "Sonic!" The blue hedgehog look at his dangling opponent to see what was on his mind. "I think I know a way to bring us back onto the elevator," said Tails. "Okay! HOW exactly is THAT gonna happen?!" Sonic asked. Mustering up enough courage, Tails explained, "I'm gonna try to fly us back up. It won't be easy, but it'll be worth a shot. You're gonna have to let go of the ledge, though!" Sonic was FAR from compliant with Tails' unorthodox scheme. "ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR MIND? WE'RE OVER 30,000 IN THE AIR AND YOU'RE TELLIN' ME TO JUST 'LET GO?' SCREW THAT NOISE! UNLESS YOU CAN SPROUT WINGS FROM NOWHERE, THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL WE'RE GONNA PULL THAT OFF!" Sonic exclaimed. "Sonic!" "WHAT?!" the hedgehog shouted angrily. He looked down at Tails once more, but saw a look of sincerity in his deep blue irises. "Please. I know it sounds dangerous, but we won't survive this if we hesitate. You have to trust me," the fox pleaded. Sonic had a gut feeling that the intelligent fox had some sort of trick up his sleeve. He knew his intuitions would rarely fail him, yet he still had his doubts. Be that as it may, Sonic was willing to take the risk. He sighed, "Okay. I'm gonna let go. This had better work." "It will," Tails reassured. _"If I don't survive this, I'm sorry, Uncle Chuck."_ With deep exhalation, Sonic finally released his grip.

The two quickly found themselves plummeting several feet from the airship. Bracing himself for the end, Sonic regretfully closed his eyes as he and Tails were quickly falling…quickly falling…falling…slowly falling…stopping? No! Slowly rising, now? Ascending? How was this happening?! Sonic opened his lids to and looked up to discover the fox boy using his twin tails as a helicopter propeller to levitate their way back to the airship! "The HELL?! Kid, how are you-" "No time to explain! Give me your other hand!" Tails requested. Sonic followed the request and reached up to Tails as they quickly made their ascension. "I never would've thought…" Sonic said to himself. They were only 100 feet away from the platform and were sure to make it. Yet, Sonic began to notice that Tails was starting to run out of energy. "Tails, how you holdin' out, dude?!" asked a concerned Sonic. Tails panted, "I'm not sure! I don't think I can make it!" Sonic confidently replied. "Oh, YES you can! I know you're a probably a boy genius n' all, but NOW, it's time to stop THINKING and start KNOWING! I KNOW you can do this! You've gotten us this far! YOU'VE gotta know you can do it, too!" Tails looked down to see the teenage hedgehog smiling with reassurance and faith in him. And that faith sparked a feeling of confidence in his heart. Tails gathered up every ounce of strength in his being to continue their flight to the airship. _"Only 30 feet left. You can do this!" _he thought as grunted through his exhausting trial.

The USACA members finally initiated the override system, but noticed that the two competitors were missing. "SHIT! They must've slipped!" Lieutenant Hawking said. Unable to think of any options to save them from their doom, Lieutenant Hawking was making mental preparations to arrange for an honorable funeral. "Whoooa. Check it out!" Noire exclaimed. Lieutenant Hawking wouldn't have believed what was happening if he hadn't seen it himself. "I'll be damned," he said, watching in amazement as Tails hovered towards to the airship.

"C'mon, Tails! You're almost there!" Sonic yelled supportively. Tails, who was now sweating profusely, used the moral support Sonic gave him as fuel to complete his mission. Through grunts and groans, Tails continued to carry Sonic. _"Almost…Ggh…Al…most…" _Tails thought as his energy quickly faded. He wanted to give up badly, but knew there was far too much at stake to quit. Miraculously, the seeds of excruciating commitment bore fruit, as Tails and Sonic finally made their way back to the airship's aircraft elevator. The lieutenant and crew cheered in relief that the boys returned safe and sound. Patrons at Chaos Stadium, who were on the edges of their seats, roared with excitement after witnessing the indescribable feat.

As they stood on the hangar's mezzanine minutes later, Sonic laughed and said, "I guess having two tails has its perks, huh?" Tails only sighed and hung his head in defeat. He realized that although he fought well, his dreams were shattered, due to the fact that he fell out of the ring during their fight. Just then Tails felt a playful yet comforting hand his head. "Cheer up, dude. You gave it your all. You fought for something that most people wouldn't even think of accomplishing; dreams. And that's all that matters. No matter what, you have to keep pushing for what you want in life. It's like I said: You've got a lot of potential, man. You just gotta bring it outta you. Never give up, Tails." Tails looked to Sonic. "Sonic?" "What's up, bro?" Tails smiled and humbly said, "Thank you for believing in me." Sonic smirked and shook his head in defiance, "Hey, there's no need to thank me. Just promise me one thing." "What's that?" "You gotta kick some MAJOR butt, the next time around! Deal?" Sonic grinned extending his fist towards Tails. "Hehehe. Deal!" Tails replied, returning a fist bump with his blue adversary.

**_"_****_NOW APPROACHING AERO COLONY DISTRICT ALPHA. ALL HANDS, MAN YOUR STATIONS, MAN YOUR STATIONS."_**

"Sooooo, I'm curious," Sonic began as he put his hands behind his head, "Just how exactly did you learn to fly, anyway?" Tails scratched his head bashfully and replied. "Y'know, it's a long story, actually." "Well, it's only the first round of the tournament," Sonic responded as the two walked out of the hangar, "So, I've got nothin' but time."

**Broadcasting Live from Chaos Stadium - Central City**

"WOW! WHAT A FIGHT! I swear! That match sent a chill up my spine, at the end!" Honey exclaimed, whipping the sweat of nervousness from her brow, "But that concludes Round 1! Sonic the Hedgehog advances to the Quarter Finals!" The audience cheered, chanting Sonic's name. "We're already off to a rip- roaring start, ladies and gentlemen! Nevertheless, the party's just starting and there's plenty more fisticuffs to come! The next match of the 8th finals starts in two days! So, stay locked in and we anxiously await your return when we begin Round 2 of the Fist of Chaos World Martial Arts Tournament!"

* * *

**_Hehehe! Yeeeeah, I TOLD y'all I was gonna bring it! Then again, I'm probably gonna think this chapter sucks, later on down the line. Woe is me. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this update to Fist of Chaos. It was pretty long, I know, but it was also fun as hell to write. Leave a review telling what you did like, didn't like, and everywhere in betwixt. Constructive criticism makes me a happy pup. 5000, ladies and gents (cannot believe I just wrote that)!_**

**_(Side note: Lieutenant Hawking was dishonorably discharged from the United Federation Air Combat Alliance for negligence and the endangerment of non-military civilians. He currently works as a manager in Spanky's Burger Shoppe. Yes; He is still hot-headed as ever.)_**

**_Author's Inspirational Playlist:_**

**_Battle for the Crown- Soul Calibur 3 OST_**

**_Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Wing Fortress Remix- EMANUELsonic of YouTube_**

**_Wardog- Ace Combat 5 OST_**

**_Approaching Tempest- Soul Calibur 3 OST_**

**_Hangar 1- Ace Combat 5 OST_**

**_Reprisal- Ace Combat 5 OST_**

**_Hangar 2- Ace Combat 5 OST_**

**_Momento- Soul Calibur 3 OST_**

**_Author's VISUAL Inspiration_**

**_ art/Tails-for-Debbie-undone-88908184_**

**_ art/Hybrid-Airship-82125917_**

**_ art/Airship-96428742_**

**_ art/Garden-City-411201882_**

**_ art/Rat-Rage-TAILS-321644979_**

**_ art/Anthro-Tails-275812347_**


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